Oregon - Day 3
[First Picture: Blue Heron]
While Saturday's plan was to head north, Sunday's plan was to head south. Our first stop was the other "cheese place" in Tillamook, the Blue Heron French Cheese Company. The Blue Heron building was smaller than the T.M.C., and is likely a smaller company, but was quite nice. As the name implies, they are more French-oriented. They also have their own wine label. We browsed the gift shop and helped ourselves to some samplings of flavored Brie cheeses. We also did the wine tasting which cost us $2 for 5-6 samples. I am guessing they charge because they are in a much higher traffic area than the Nehalem winery and are generally a little cheaper. Their wines were quite good. My favorite was the Tipple Berry which is made from raspberry, marionberry and strawberry. The marionberry port was also excellent. If we had not bought wine the other day we would have bought some from Blue Heron. But they have a website so we can always order some later.
Also at Blue Heron was a small petting zoo. They had several types of sheep and goats as well as an emu. We bought some feed (a couple of ounces for $0.75). All of the animals appreciated our purchase. We also enjoyed watching a little girl and her mom point out all of the animals. It should go without saying that we took pictures.
As per Wes' advice the other day, when we got to Netarts Highway, we took it. After a couple of miles of farms the road curved around a large hill with the Crab Harbor mud flats to our left (north) side. We made our first of many stops on the coast a little further down the road. It was an overcast but comfortable day. While coming back from the beach we met two people who were out with their dogs. The woman lived in Portland but was originally from the metro-Detroit area. Once again, Michigan ties.
We continued our way along Cape Meares Loop, also known as the Three Capes Scenic Route. The road angled up into the hills and trees. At one point we came to a curve where the trees opened up right at the road's edge. We quickly pulled over to take a look at an incredible view of the coast as well as looking down on the beach we had just been and the nearby mud flats.
Half a mile further down the road was the Cape Meares Lighthouse. It was also the home of the semi-famous "Octopus Tree". We parked and walked around. We stopped at one point on the path to look down at some rocky cliffs with the surf coming crashing into the inlet. I took a short movie to try to capture the turbulent but relaxing atmosphere and sound of the surf. We also walked to the lighthouse. One person thought he saw a seal down in the water, but we did not see anything. There were signs saying that they could be found nearby, so maybe he really did see one.
What seemed like a gentle downward stroll turned out to be a somewhat hard climb back up, especially when you are as out of shape as we are. But we made it up and found our way to the Octopus Tree. The tree is a giant Sitka Spruce that did not form into a single-trunked tree, but has six (not eight) massive limbs coming off the base. To give perspective, if you look at the picture, the sign comes up to me about mid-chest.
About half a mile down the road we spotted a little sign for a scenic pull-off. Another bit of advice is that even the smallest, unassuming signs can be a marker for a really cool stop. If you have the time, make the stop. I was glad we did. After a little climb down some wooden stairs we found ourselves on a stony beach looking up at the lighthouse about 300 feet higher up. There was also a large rocky "stack" just off shore that is a breeding ground for several types of animals and birds. Since it was not breeding season, we were allowed to get down onto the beach and as close as we wanted to the stack.
Another mile or so down the road was the town of Oceanside. It was a quaint little town below the steep hills of Cape Meares. We walked along the beach for a bit. I got a neat picture of a house right on the edge of a cliff. Nice view, but I would not want to live there for fear of my house crashing down onto the beach. We also spotted what looked like the entrance to a bomb shelter heading into the cliff. We made our way over to it and realized that it was actually a tunnel. With the bright light coming in from the other end, the tunnel itself was extremely dark and somewhat treacherous. But I wanted to see the other end, so we made our way through. We passed a family in the six foot wide tunnel going the other direction. The view on the other side was very pretty, but I did not take a picture because it was not anything all that new. I did take a picture of the tunnel.
We actually made it 6-8 miles before making our next stop at Cape Lookout. Unfortunately there really was not much to see from the parking area. Reading the signs, we saw that the real sights would require hiking a couple of miles along a "moderate difficulty" path (their words). We decided to skip the hike for the day. We did promise ourselves that if we ever got into hiking or nature walks that we should visit Cape Lookout and dozens of other places along the coast. We also saw a sign that warned of bears and told what to do if you encountered one.
Our next stop was Sand Lake. True to its name, it is an extremely sandy area that might have been a lake a long, long time ago. We had heard that many people bring their dune buggies out to Sand Lake. A quick view of the area made me believe that it would be incredible fun. We could hear some small vehicle engines off in the distance but did not see anyone on the dunes. We also stopped at the nearby Sand Lake Estuary for a bathroom and picture break.
Finally we came to the final destination of our southern journey, Pacific City. It was a small town right on the ocean as the name implied. Coming from the north along the coast, it was thankfully impossible to miss the Pelican Pub. I ordered a fantastic bangers and mash along with one of their ales. Jaime ordered fish and chips with a stout. I remember the Super Bowl being played on several TVs. We also gazed out the window at a very nice view and were amused by a few people actually surfing. For those that did not know, the water on the Oregon coast in winter is usually 40-something degrees. The water barely gets above 60 even in the summer. Of course the surfers had we suits.
After dinner we took some pictures at the beach of the surfers and the setting sun. We also spotted a large black and white rabbit on the lawn by an apartment building on our way out of town. We got a little turned around, but eventually made it back to US-101. The drive was a little scary in the twilight with all of the winding roads, but we made it without incident. We made a brief stop in Tillamook to get gas. That was when we found out something unexpected about Oregon: There are no self-serve pumps in the state. Zero. It felt a little weird to have my gas pumped and windows cleaned by a likely 70 year old woman. I gave her a big tip. I am not sure what tipping procedure is in that cast, if at all, but my guilt made me do it.
On our way back, right before Garibaldi, we stopped to admire (and take pictures of) the sunset. So far on the trip it had been overcast, so it was nice to see an actual sunset. It was a bit hazy, but we got at least one good picture of Tillamook Bay with the sun setting in the background. I think I got it by resting the camera on a wooden post holding up the guard rail.
About a half hour later we made it back to the condo. I downloaded all of the pictures from the trip to the laptop. I also went out the back door with the laptop to see if I could pick up a Wi-Fi signal. I could get some faint signals for unsecured networks within the condo, but they were too weak to connect. I eventually got one working, I think from the set of condos next door. I managed to upload a few pictures and send out an email before logging off. We then ended the night drinking some Black Butte Porter and watching the end of the Super Bowl.
[ Preface] [ Day 1] [ Day 2] [ Day 4] [ Day 5] [ Day 6] [ Day 7] [ Day 8] [ Day 9]
While Saturday's plan was to head north, Sunday's plan was to head south. Our first stop was the other "cheese place" in Tillamook, the Blue Heron French Cheese Company. The Blue Heron building was smaller than the T.M.C., and is likely a smaller company, but was quite nice. As the name implies, they are more French-oriented. They also have their own wine label. We browsed the gift shop and helped ourselves to some samplings of flavored Brie cheeses. We also did the wine tasting which cost us $2 for 5-6 samples. I am guessing they charge because they are in a much higher traffic area than the Nehalem winery and are generally a little cheaper. Their wines were quite good. My favorite was the Tipple Berry which is made from raspberry, marionberry and strawberry. The marionberry port was also excellent. If we had not bought wine the other day we would have bought some from Blue Heron. But they have a website so we can always order some later.
Also at Blue Heron was a small petting zoo. They had several types of sheep and goats as well as an emu. We bought some feed (a couple of ounces for $0.75). All of the animals appreciated our purchase. We also enjoyed watching a little girl and her mom point out all of the animals. It should go without saying that we took pictures.
As per Wes' advice the other day, when we got to Netarts Highway, we took it. After a couple of miles of farms the road curved around a large hill with the Crab Harbor mud flats to our left (north) side. We made our first of many stops on the coast a little further down the road. It was an overcast but comfortable day. While coming back from the beach we met two people who were out with their dogs. The woman lived in Portland but was originally from the metro-Detroit area. Once again, Michigan ties.
We continued our way along Cape Meares Loop, also known as the Three Capes Scenic Route. The road angled up into the hills and trees. At one point we came to a curve where the trees opened up right at the road's edge. We quickly pulled over to take a look at an incredible view of the coast as well as looking down on the beach we had just been and the nearby mud flats.
Half a mile further down the road was the Cape Meares Lighthouse. It was also the home of the semi-famous "Octopus Tree". We parked and walked around. We stopped at one point on the path to look down at some rocky cliffs with the surf coming crashing into the inlet. I took a short movie to try to capture the turbulent but relaxing atmosphere and sound of the surf. We also walked to the lighthouse. One person thought he saw a seal down in the water, but we did not see anything. There were signs saying that they could be found nearby, so maybe he really did see one.
What seemed like a gentle downward stroll turned out to be a somewhat hard climb back up, especially when you are as out of shape as we are. But we made it up and found our way to the Octopus Tree. The tree is a giant Sitka Spruce that did not form into a single-trunked tree, but has six (not eight) massive limbs coming off the base. To give perspective, if you look at the picture, the sign comes up to me about mid-chest.
About half a mile down the road we spotted a little sign for a scenic pull-off. Another bit of advice is that even the smallest, unassuming signs can be a marker for a really cool stop. If you have the time, make the stop. I was glad we did. After a little climb down some wooden stairs we found ourselves on a stony beach looking up at the lighthouse about 300 feet higher up. There was also a large rocky "stack" just off shore that is a breeding ground for several types of animals and birds. Since it was not breeding season, we were allowed to get down onto the beach and as close as we wanted to the stack.
Another mile or so down the road was the town of Oceanside. It was a quaint little town below the steep hills of Cape Meares. We walked along the beach for a bit. I got a neat picture of a house right on the edge of a cliff. Nice view, but I would not want to live there for fear of my house crashing down onto the beach. We also spotted what looked like the entrance to a bomb shelter heading into the cliff. We made our way over to it and realized that it was actually a tunnel. With the bright light coming in from the other end, the tunnel itself was extremely dark and somewhat treacherous. But I wanted to see the other end, so we made our way through. We passed a family in the six foot wide tunnel going the other direction. The view on the other side was very pretty, but I did not take a picture because it was not anything all that new. I did take a picture of the tunnel.
We actually made it 6-8 miles before making our next stop at Cape Lookout. Unfortunately there really was not much to see from the parking area. Reading the signs, we saw that the real sights would require hiking a couple of miles along a "moderate difficulty" path (their words). We decided to skip the hike for the day. We did promise ourselves that if we ever got into hiking or nature walks that we should visit Cape Lookout and dozens of other places along the coast. We also saw a sign that warned of bears and told what to do if you encountered one.
Our next stop was Sand Lake. True to its name, it is an extremely sandy area that might have been a lake a long, long time ago. We had heard that many people bring their dune buggies out to Sand Lake. A quick view of the area made me believe that it would be incredible fun. We could hear some small vehicle engines off in the distance but did not see anyone on the dunes. We also stopped at the nearby Sand Lake Estuary for a bathroom and picture break.
Finally we came to the final destination of our southern journey, Pacific City. It was a small town right on the ocean as the name implied. Coming from the north along the coast, it was thankfully impossible to miss the Pelican Pub. I ordered a fantastic bangers and mash along with one of their ales. Jaime ordered fish and chips with a stout. I remember the Super Bowl being played on several TVs. We also gazed out the window at a very nice view and were amused by a few people actually surfing. For those that did not know, the water on the Oregon coast in winter is usually 40-something degrees. The water barely gets above 60 even in the summer. Of course the surfers had we suits.
After dinner we took some pictures at the beach of the surfers and the setting sun. We also spotted a large black and white rabbit on the lawn by an apartment building on our way out of town. We got a little turned around, but eventually made it back to US-101. The drive was a little scary in the twilight with all of the winding roads, but we made it without incident. We made a brief stop in Tillamook to get gas. That was when we found out something unexpected about Oregon: There are no self-serve pumps in the state. Zero. It felt a little weird to have my gas pumped and windows cleaned by a likely 70 year old woman. I gave her a big tip. I am not sure what tipping procedure is in that cast, if at all, but my guilt made me do it.
On our way back, right before Garibaldi, we stopped to admire (and take pictures of) the sunset. So far on the trip it had been overcast, so it was nice to see an actual sunset. It was a bit hazy, but we got at least one good picture of Tillamook Bay with the sun setting in the background. I think I got it by resting the camera on a wooden post holding up the guard rail.
About a half hour later we made it back to the condo. I downloaded all of the pictures from the trip to the laptop. I also went out the back door with the laptop to see if I could pick up a Wi-Fi signal. I could get some faint signals for unsecured networks within the condo, but they were too weak to connect. I eventually got one working, I think from the set of condos next door. I managed to upload a few pictures and send out an email before logging off. We then ended the night drinking some Black Butte Porter and watching the end of the Super Bowl.
[ Preface] [ Day 1] [ Day 2] [ Day 4] [ Day 5] [ Day 6] [ Day 7] [ Day 8] [ Day 9]