Venturing to the windy coast, we found the last lighthouse we would see in the west for a long time. The Tillamook Rock lighthouse stands on an island in the northern part of the state, barely visible through the fog. We watched a short PBS Documentary on the lighthouse to gain more information. It has an incredible story. Our lunch this day was some delicious Dungenous Crab with an overlook of the lighthouse. We also had the opportunity to spend time with our friends from Utah again, this time on the beach. We frolicked among the sands and shallows of Lincoln City.
As our time on the west coast was coming to a close, we took the time to reflect on how lucky we have been to spend so much time enjoying and exploring this gorgeous area of the US. We were often asked what our favorite part of our time on the coast was, and we had a very hard time answering as we had many life altering experiences.
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As much as we enjoyed our time with family, it was time to say "adieu" as they made their way back to Utah. At this point, we made our way an hour south to Florence. On the way, we stopped at Strawberry Hill for some tide-pooling. We found crabs and sea stars galore! The wind coming off the shore was blasting us so we went inland slightly to Woahink lake. The spot we found was secluded and the lake was warm, so we spent multiple hours swimming, sunbathing, and playing music (Will may have even tried to tan his backside - shhhh).
After an unsuccessful attempt at crabbing in the wind we spent the night in the area and took a tour of the Haceta Head lighthouse in the morning. We couldn't get into the lighthouse itself but could tour the keeper's house. Pictures were not allowed but the house was beautiful. From there, we drove north with a detour to Hobbit Beach. The hike to the beach is beautiful, through an overgrown forest which made us feel as though we were hiking through a fairy forest. Back in Newport, we enjoyed viewing the murals in the Bay Front, crabbing on the pier, a tour of the Marine Science Center, walking around the aquarium village, and celebrating the birthday of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. Celebrating with us were friends of ours from Utah who were in town visiting. We were given a show by a juvenile grey whale who was hanging out at the base of the cliffs, 60 feet below us. He was so close that we could clearly see his eye. This has been one of our favorite spots along the Oregon coast because of the plethora of activities available to us. A spot to which we would definitely return. After wildfires put a wrench in our plans to visit Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National park we made our way back to the Oregon coast. The Hill family (Aubrey's husband's family) were vacationing in Newport and had a few days left on their trip so we decided to head to Newport and spend a few days with them. The reunion was so touching. We left it a surprise for Dylan, only letting her know that we were going to visit some people she knew. When we pulled up to the house, Aubrey, Carver and Papa Mike were on the front porch. The screams coming from the back of the van were incredibly heartwarming. For the first few hours, Dylan and Carver couldn't keep their hands off each other - every time they passed, a beautiful look of true love would wash over their faces and they would have a big hug. It may have been the sweetest thing I have seen in my life.
On our first time through Newport, we seemed to have missed the Bay Front area of town. This was the area that the Hill family had their B&B and spent much of their time. We had so much fun exploring the harbor, and wharf, the small shops, the sea lions, the fish plant and the fishing boats of the Bay Front with Aubrey, Steve, Carver, and the gang. We also spent the morning on Agate beach so that the big Hill kids were able to surf. Aubrey,Will and I had a blast playing on the beach with the two smaller kids as they ran and played in the river's water, explored the rock walls for small critters, and played music on the beach while we watched the big kids play. That afternoon a variety of the gang spent some time crabbing and catching 9 rock crabs for dinner. Although our time together was short we had a lovely time exploring the this area of the Oregon Coast and sharing some much needed time and space. After leaving Mount Rainier, we headed in the direction of Glacier National Park. As we drove East, the smoke was increasing in density. We stopped for the night in the middle of nowhere Washington (Ritzville) at a cute little, family-run motel, the Colwell Motor Inn. While there, we evaluated our options and discovered that half of Glacier National Park was on fire. Wildfires were evacuating the Western half of the park and the air quality was such that we did not want to expose our lungs to that.
We had family visiting the Oregon coast and were invited to join them. The wildfires seemed like a sign that we needed to return to the coast. On our way, we drove along I-84 and decided to stop at Multnomah Falls. This spectacular waterfall drops 611 feet over the edge of a cliff. Is is a gorgeous sight to behold and only a 5 minute walk up to the base. Of course, a stop here wasn't complete without an ice cream treat. We highly recommend this little stop along the highway as a place to stretch your legs and get out of the car to discover the beauty of the area. It is a very short walk up to the bridge and suitable for everyone in the family. As our time comes to a close in Oregon we reflect back on the many amazing adventures we have had along the Oregon coast. The small towns that dot the breathtakingly beautiful coastline of Oregon fill all of our souls and inspire us to find our own slice of heaven in an area that reflects the feel of this area. We met some lovely people as we have toured and quietly made our way through the area. The kindness we have been shown, the friendliness and the help we were given was beyond any that we have found as we have adventured the past month and a half. Although it is hard for us to say goodbye to this beautiful state we realize we have many many more adventures awaiting us as we continue our travels.
As we began exploring then northern part of Oregon, we realized that this land is rich with a very diverse history. We stopped at Fort Stevens, just outside of Astoria for the night and found that there was a lot of exploring to be done. We spent the evening playing on the beautiful sandy beaches of the area. The next morning we went into the historic fort to participate in a behind the scenes tour on a old Army cargo jeep. It was hosted by a lovely couple who volunteer their summers to provide the historical facts to the public as they visit the fort. We then went to another part of the state park to explore the Peter Iredal shipping vessel that shipwrecked on this beach in 1906. This area is home to many shipwrecks as it is near the entrance to the Columbia River, a major shipping route to bring supplies into the interior of the US and some of the most dangerous waters in the west.
As one of the nations newer National Parks, the Lewis and Clark National Park was a bit of a mystery as we were making our plans for the area. It wasn't until we were near Fort Stevens (a state park in northern Oregon) that we were able to find some solid information about the park. The park has one main area outside of Astoria, Oregon but it also encompasses 7 other areas or state parks which were significant sites for the Lewis and Clark party. We had the chance to visit the main park, where they have reconstructed Fort Clatsop on the space they believe was the original location, as well as 3 other areas that had significance to the party. Fort Clatsop is the spot where they arrived and spent a winter while developing relations with the natives of the area. The Lewis and Clark party had traveled through Utah, so we were exposed to parts of their adventure but visiting this park inspired me to beef up on my knowledge of their entire adventure.
The gentleman at Blue Heron recommended that we stop at the Neah-Kah-Nie mountain and hike to the top for some glorious views - and boy was he right. The hike itself was a 1200 foot ascent through an incredibly lush forest, the top of which I would qualify as a rain forest. Constantly gaining elevation for 2 miles while surrounded by this forest was soul filling in itself but the view from the top encompassed two very different landscapes. The vast ocean on one side with its majesty and power and the quiet farming valley tucked into the crook behind the other side of the mountain seemed quiet and secure. This vantage really has a conflicting tone as you scan for miles and miles. PS - Dylan was a machine and completed this 4 mile, 1200 foot gain hike with very little complaining.
Back on the coast and to the lovely big, small town of Tillamook - known for its dairy industry. During our two days here we managed to visit the creamery 3 times, and we stayed in the farmer's field of the Blue Heron Cheese Company just up the street. Needless to say we have had more dairy in the past 2 days then we have had all month. This area also boasts some incredible shorelines which we spent a whole day exploring as we drove the "3 capes scenic by-way" to Cape Meares lighthouse and Look out point. The views are stunning in this area and the shoreline like none we have encountered thus far. We also went for a hike at the Munson State Park waterfall and Dylan found about a half dozen banana slugs (which have quickly come to be one of her favorite animals).
Driving into Portland was driving into another world after being in such small coastal towns for the last couple weeks. But with it being only an hour from the coast, no trip is complete without a trip to this eclectic Oregon city. As a special treat, our friend Shadia from the World Forestry Center gave us a personal tour of the World Forest Discovery Museum. She also recommend a couple of places for food downtown. Living on the road, we have had limited access to meat and were both craving a good burger. She sent us to Little Big Burger and we were not disappointed. We also had planned a visit to Voodoo doughnuts but she steered us to Blue Star instead. As we walked past Voodoo and into Blue Star, we were grateful. The doughnuts were amazing and we didn't have to wait an hour to get them. And of course, we had to end our day in Portland at Powell's City of Books.
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April 2019
AuthorCarolyn and Will Bollwerk share their adventures with their 5 year-old daughter, Dylan. |