Making our way through Oregon

 September 21 - October 2, 2015

After leaving Whidbey Island, we drove to the south end of Seattle to Kent, WA where we stayed in a very expensive KOA, because there wasn't anything else in the area where we needed to be. We were there to visit with my Nephew Allen and his family, Tirza, Natallie and Nick. We were there for four days. Then we moved down to the Olympia area to visit with a cousin of Phil's that he met on DNA. We stayed at Camp Murray, a small campground across the interstate from Lewis/McCord joint base. Our next stop was to Vernonia, OR to spend a few days with Grant and Judi Rand, more friends from Phil's CG days in Coos Bay.

 The above picture is of the docks at Longview, WA where the logs going overseas to Japan and other Asian ports are collected.

To the left is the bridge that spans the Columbia River, connecting Washington to Oregon.


Below, looking back at the bridge we just crossed and the Columbia River

After Vernonia, we spent some time in Warrenton, OR, where we stayed at Camp Rilea which is a National Guard training base. The sites are level and full 30/50 amp hookups. Icing on the cake was that the very nice laundry room was free!


The base...spacious and clean as a whistle!!

 After Warrenton, our next destination was Newport, OR. This part of the coast is one of my favorites, it changes from sandy beaches to sharp rocky shores and back again.  The people of Oregon are to be commended, they take their guardianship of nature's resources seriously. Even with the trashy outsiders tromping through Oregon in groves, the people of Oregon manage to come behind them to pick up as much of the litter as possible. Compared to the Southern California beaches I grew up on, Oregon is pristine clean!

 Tillamook Light sits about a mile off shore from our picture taking location, almost lost in the haze. It's nickname is "Terrible Tilly" because of the constant winds and waves that assault it on a regular basis. The island also serves as a safe haven for over 12,000 nesting birds during a season.

This large area of highway support (found all along Highway 101 and Highway 1 )is not unusual. The shear drop offs of the rocky cliffs follow gravity, and tumble down to the base of the mountain far below the highways.

 But from the same viewpoint is the sight I love about the west coast. From northern California north to the northern most tip of Washington are miles of wild and free coast, where you can go hear the waves pounding on the rocky shores or just shushing on a clean sandy beach. I love it, it talks to my soul.

 In Newport, OR, the Yaquina Bay Bridge looks onto the Yaquina Coast Guard Base.

 The front of the building looks over Yaquina Bay. The top floor of this building was the barracks when Phil was in the CG, but now it is offices. A new barracks building can be seen in the background.

 This is a picture of a picture that Phil took of the CG boat house after it was hit by a freighter trying to turn around in the small bay. Phil was part of a crew sent up from Coos Bay with poles to help shore up the building if necessary. Phil took this picture from the bridge as they crossed over the bay.

From the shore side of the boat house the damage is severe. These pictures were in archive albums stored in the boat house. Phil was allowed, with escort, to go into the new boat house to look for these photos.

 These male sea lions could be heard all over town. We were told they are upset because the females are still south with pups and not expected here for another few weeks.

 From the harbor we drove over to the Yaquina Bay lighthouse. We have been here before, but not during visiting hours. Today, we got to go through it.

 It's a grand old building, but only served for three years according to the sign. Just from looking at it, I would guess that it was to short, and was replaced by the Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

Yaquina Head Light sits tall and regal on the point.