Coasting in Oregon
In Portland, Mary Lou and I were graciously treated to a home cooked meal and comfortable beds by her friends Joan and John. On Saturday I visited with my friend Matt. Matt bought me lunch which we ate sitting outside at a cafe in the Alphabet District -- the weather was exactly the right temperature for being comfortable outside in shorts. Then I picked up Mary Lou and we joined my friend Trena for coffee. Thus, it was relatively late before we left the city, going up to Route 4 in Washington so I could have the leisurely drive along the Columbia River I hadn't had time for the previous day. It was a Saturday in August; it was not clever to have headed toward the ocean without reservations somewhere. We found no rooms at the inns along Route 4, so went across the wide Columbia at the Astoria bridge -- actually two bridges and a causeway strung together. The bridge on the Oregon side is a dizzying high arch so that ships can pass through to go up the river. In Astoria we got the last room at a motel on the main drag -- several other people were turned away as I registered. Phew! After putting on warm clothes (it was much colder in Astoria than in Portland), we had a delicious dinner of ribeye steak and halibut fish & chips. As we left the restaurant, I noticed a table of a dozen people wearing t-shirts that said "The Adventure of a Lifetime" and asked them about it. They had run from the top of Mt. Hood to the Pacific in 36 hours, as a relay team. Hmmm. I think I like my adventure better.
In the morning, upon awaking, I left in search of coffee. Having immediately spotted a Burger King and a McDonalds, and seeing the river only a block away, I went toward the river first. The Sunday morning was quiet, cloaked with high fog. Apart from an occasional car on the main street, the only sound was an intermittent foghorn. By the river I watched a pilot boat race downstream. A few moments later, the fog horn grew very loud and then a huge container ship appeared going upstream. It was very close -- the channel is near the Oregon shore, as is the arch in the bridge. The pilot boat I had seen a minute before was a midget escort at the side of the ship, which was labeled China Shipping Lines. Many of the containers also said China Shipping. I've noticed that a large number of the containers on trains throughout Washington and Montana have had Chinese names -- concrete evidence of the rise of the Chinese economy we hear so much about. I walked long the river a little and found a "riverfront park" -- rather a pocket park, consisting of a small board plaza and an observation tower right next to water. Next to it was the Cannery Cafe that looked cozy and inviting. I went back to the motel and collected Mary Lou and we returned to the cafe. We ate at a table next to the water and watched the Columbia roll on and roll on.
After packing up and checking out, we drove onto some side streets of Astoria with the fog lifting. I was looking for the library, but we first found the visitor center for the historic Flavel House. About half the gifts were tea cups or tea paraphernalia; the attendant said the Flavels drank a lot of tea. Understandable with this foggy weather. The public library was down the street and was closed. But further down the street, very open and very lively, was the Astoria Sunday market. After a taste test, I bought what were possibly the best peaches and blackberries I've had in my life.
We left Astoria and drove just a few miles south before turning a bit inland to the Fort Clatsop National Memorial. This is at the site of Lewis & Clark's encampment for the winter of 1805-1806. As at Fort Mandan in North Dakota, there is a replica of the small log fort the Corps of Discovery built -- awfully close quarters. There also was a path to the spring they probably used -- dry right now -- and a path through the forest to the canoe landing on the Netul River, now the Lewis & Clark River, with replicas of dugout canoes. The view across the sluggish channel of water and yellow fields to the green hills was lovely.
This was my last intersection with the Lewis & Clark trail (although I still have a long way to go with the "Undaunted Courage" CDs). Having bid adieu to those intrepid explorers, these explorers headed down 101, which provides a rapid-fire succession of spectacular viewpoints and beaches. Many stops for pictures and for detours into cute little beach resorts were required. Lunch was clam chowder in Seaside and watching bored teenagers trying to act cool on their beach vacation. Cannon Beach provided views of the famous "haystack" rocks. The Nehalem turnout provided an awesome view of a sharp curve in the shore line, with waves brushing a steep cliff at one end. The pullout had a sign that said "Rock Work", and there indeed was an impressive rock wall propping up the road, but there was no information on how, who, why, when. [I've since learned it was done under the New Deal Works Administration Program, along with 5 of the impressive bridges along the Oregon Coast road.] There was information on Oswald West, the far-sighted governor who set aside Oregon's coast for the public during his term of 1911-1915. Thank you Oswald!
We stopped for the night at Rockaway Beach and watched until the sun was low and golden on the ocean and dunes. The next day again broke foggy. I went down to the beach and had it all to myself. After an attempt to find a better way to pack the car, we continued south. Despite the high fog, there still were beautiful beach vistas. We stopped in Tillamook (as in cheese) to check email at the public library and eat seafood (halibut sandwich, oyster burger, clam chowder) at a restaurant recommended by the librarian. Then a crawl down to Pacific City where I blogged some at their library, and then to our resting place in Lincoln City. We made 111 miles in only two days! At this rate, I should be to California by Christmas. Hmmm. Maybe need to pick up the pace. Sure is hard to resist stopping for this dramatic coastal scenery.
In the morning, upon awaking, I left in search of coffee. Having immediately spotted a Burger King and a McDonalds, and seeing the river only a block away, I went toward the river first. The Sunday morning was quiet, cloaked with high fog. Apart from an occasional car on the main street, the only sound was an intermittent foghorn. By the river I watched a pilot boat race downstream. A few moments later, the fog horn grew very loud and then a huge container ship appeared going upstream. It was very close -- the channel is near the Oregon shore, as is the arch in the bridge. The pilot boat I had seen a minute before was a midget escort at the side of the ship, which was labeled China Shipping Lines. Many of the containers also said China Shipping. I've noticed that a large number of the containers on trains throughout Washington and Montana have had Chinese names -- concrete evidence of the rise of the Chinese economy we hear so much about. I walked long the river a little and found a "riverfront park" -- rather a pocket park, consisting of a small board plaza and an observation tower right next to water. Next to it was the Cannery Cafe that looked cozy and inviting. I went back to the motel and collected Mary Lou and we returned to the cafe. We ate at a table next to the water and watched the Columbia roll on and roll on.
After packing up and checking out, we drove onto some side streets of Astoria with the fog lifting. I was looking for the library, but we first found the visitor center for the historic Flavel House. About half the gifts were tea cups or tea paraphernalia; the attendant said the Flavels drank a lot of tea. Understandable with this foggy weather. The public library was down the street and was closed. But further down the street, very open and very lively, was the Astoria Sunday market. After a taste test, I bought what were possibly the best peaches and blackberries I've had in my life.
We left Astoria and drove just a few miles south before turning a bit inland to the Fort Clatsop National Memorial. This is at the site of Lewis & Clark's encampment for the winter of 1805-1806. As at Fort Mandan in North Dakota, there is a replica of the small log fort the Corps of Discovery built -- awfully close quarters. There also was a path to the spring they probably used -- dry right now -- and a path through the forest to the canoe landing on the Netul River, now the Lewis & Clark River, with replicas of dugout canoes. The view across the sluggish channel of water and yellow fields to the green hills was lovely.
This was my last intersection with the Lewis & Clark trail (although I still have a long way to go with the "Undaunted Courage" CDs). Having bid adieu to those intrepid explorers, these explorers headed down 101, which provides a rapid-fire succession of spectacular viewpoints and beaches. Many stops for pictures and for detours into cute little beach resorts were required. Lunch was clam chowder in Seaside and watching bored teenagers trying to act cool on their beach vacation. Cannon Beach provided views of the famous "haystack" rocks. The Nehalem turnout provided an awesome view of a sharp curve in the shore line, with waves brushing a steep cliff at one end. The pullout had a sign that said "Rock Work", and there indeed was an impressive rock wall propping up the road, but there was no information on how, who, why, when. [I've since learned it was done under the New Deal Works Administration Program, along with 5 of the impressive bridges along the Oregon Coast road.] There was information on Oswald West, the far-sighted governor who set aside Oregon's coast for the public during his term of 1911-1915. Thank you Oswald!
We stopped for the night at Rockaway Beach and watched until the sun was low and golden on the ocean and dunes. The next day again broke foggy. I went down to the beach and had it all to myself. After an attempt to find a better way to pack the car, we continued south. Despite the high fog, there still were beautiful beach vistas. We stopped in Tillamook (as in cheese) to check email at the public library and eat seafood (halibut sandwich, oyster burger, clam chowder) at a restaurant recommended by the librarian. Then a crawl down to Pacific City where I blogged some at their library, and then to our resting place in Lincoln City. We made 111 miles in only two days! At this rate, I should be to California by Christmas. Hmmm. Maybe need to pick up the pace. Sure is hard to resist stopping for this dramatic coastal scenery.
posted by Annventurer | 10:23 AM
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