Strolling Cannon Beach with Haystack Rock in the background.
A couple of eagles enjoying their view of the river from the tree tops.
The elk hurried into the bush as we approached.
One of our favorite west coast beaches is Cannon Beach, Oregon, which is located an easy one and a half hours drive from the cabin. In making sure the journey was part of the adventure we made several stops along both the drive down and back.
First up was a brief stop at the appropriately named Dismal Nitch. While this name may not conjure up serene images it is appropriately named and historically significant. Dismal Nitch is a small cove on the Washington side of the Columbia River. It's on WA-401 just east of the Astoria-Megler Bridge.
It was in this cove that the Lewis and Clark Expedition set up their final campsite before reaching the Pacific Ocean. The expedition was low on supplies and trying desperately to reach their final destination at the mouth of the Columbia River before the last supply ship of the season set sail. As was often the case, they were held hostage by the weather. Which in this case was a severe early season winter storm. For six cold, wet days and nights they were forced to stay in this small area which Captain Clark referred to in his journals as "a dismal little nitch". Now day's there's a modern rest area, short trail and a few historical markers telling the story of how the area got it's well deserved name.
After spending a few minutes trying to imagine what it would have been like in 1805 to be stuck in Dismal Nitch we hopped back into the warm, comfortable confines of the Silver Bullet and crossed the impressive Astoria-Megler Bridge into Oregon. Thankfully exploring along the shores and crossing the Columbia River is much easier today than it was back in 1805!
Fort Clatsop is the centerpiece of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. It is where from December, 1805 until March, 1806 the expedition set up their camp to wait out the harsh winter before starting their journey back to St. Louis. Today there is a very nice interpretive center that graphically tells the story of their incredible journey as well as a replica of the fort they built to provide some degree of comfort and protection from the elements. The park which is part of the national park system does charge an admission fee, however it is covered by the national park pass (there is a "senior" discounted pass available if you're old like me).
Replica of the original Fort Clatsop. It was built based on sketches of the original fort and is believed to be accurate in terms of both design, size and location.
Fort Clatsop became the "official" name for the fort on December 25, 1805. It was named in honor of the Clatsop Indians that inhabited the area.
We made a short exit off Highway 101 to drive through the beachfront city of Seaside. This city is somewhat more developed and "touristy" than Cannon Beach. There is a nice beach and plenty of shops, restaurants and hotels. It seemed that the downtown had undergone an impressive and significant renovation since were there last (7-8 years ago).
As we arrived in Cannon Beach, the ever changing weather changed again as another passing shower came in off the ocean. We were able to grab a quick lunch while marveling out the window at the alternating sunshine and showers.
The actual beach at Cannon Beach is just over four miles in length. It features plenty of hard packed sand making it perfect for a walk or run. The most prominent feature of the beach is the 235 foot tall Haystack Rock. At high tide the rock is surrounded by several feet of cool (currently 41 degrees) Pacific Ocean water. As the tide goes out, a number of small tidal pools form around the base of the rock. Small fish, urchins and other critters from the sea can be found in these tidal pools as they wait patiently for the next high tide.
A couple of stylishly dressed old salts!
We planned our day so we could catch Haystack Rock as the tide was going out but again the ever changing weather caused us to change our plans. We were able to enjoy a nice walk of several miles on the beach while keeping an eye on the clouds forming out in the ocean. We made it back to the Bullet with slightly damp clothes and hair. Well, at least Beth's hair was damp.
Mostly clear...........
Clouds building.......
Rains on the way..........
These pictures were taken within 30 minutes. If we would have hung around another fifteen minutes or so we could have taken another picture of a nice sunny day. The sunshine and showers cycle continued all day.
As we left Cannon Beach we made a quick detour to Ecola State Park. The park has nine miles of coastline and includes the offshore Tillamook Lighthouse which, because of the harsh conditions it was built in, is nicknamed "Terrible Tillie". The state park has been the filming location for several movies including Kindergarten Cop, Point Break, Twilight and numerous scenes from The Goonies.
Ecola State Park
The Tillamook Lighthouse (Terrible Tillie). It took 500 days to level the rock and build the lighthouse. Many days the workers faced strong winds, high waves and cold rain. Guess who gave the lighthouse the nickname Terrible Tillie?
Ecola State Park looking towards Crescent Beach and Cannon Beach.
Ecola Point
The Astoria-Megler Bridge connecting Oregon and Washington via Highway 101.
Great destinations and a wonderful journey along the way!
As we made our way back to the cabin we spotted these two handsome goats on the road. They were in about the same location as the small herd of elk we saw earlier in the day. Momma goat had a collar on so we assumed they were one of the friendly locals pets.
We made it back in time for a little stroll along the river and some sunset fishing.
