Good start for the weekend..! Another day of sunshine...most of it anyway. It started out looking rather dreary but cleared up around 10AM and was nice most of the day. Mid 70s but with a little breeze. Without the wind it would have been a perfect day. We started out with an extremely low tide this morning so we decided to try some clamming. What a fun day it was! We walked from the coach to the pier and dug through the sand and muck looking for some clams. We were rewarded with four of the critters along with one very upset crab about 6 1/2" across. Josh found a hermit crab so he will visit with us for a couple of days until we are ready to leave. We finished off the day with the campground owners. They had everyone in the park over for s'mores and some evening entertainment provided by a world renowned American Indian flute player.

We decided to do some clamming this morning. The low tide was extreme, exposing much of Tillamook Bay. This was taken from the pier towards our coach as Josh and Jasmine were making their way to the clam beds.

You can see how low the tide really was. That's the pier and the boathouse.

We found several nice sized clams. These are called Heart Clams or Cockles. They can be steamed or fried. Some like them ground into fritters. Their shells are really hard. Clamming is easy, as you simply dig in the soft sand and pull them out. These guys are quick though, as they can move about a foot in a few seconds. We needed to boil them for a couple minutes to open them up as they are tightly closed. Once open, the meat can be breaded and fried in Canola or Olive Oil.

Once fried, they are served with rice and either red cocktail sauce or tarter sauce depending on your tastes.  They were good with no fishy aftertaste. Debi made homemade cocktail sauce.

A short walk to the docks to watch as a fishing trawler arrived with it's day's bounty. These guys went out at 5:30AM and returned around 4PM with their load of crabs. Here they use an electric hoist to move the crabs to the dock.

Once on the docks, the crabs are off loaded into large plastic tubs where they will be cleaned, counted and tagged to be sent to markets. Many of the crabs are sent live so their claws have to be secured so they do not fight with each other. Each one of these tubs hold about 1000 crabs.

Later this afternoon, we were excited to see this guy cruising the campground. As we watched, another beautiful bird, assuming his mate,  joined him and they circled for about 15 minutes before flying off towards the mountains.

We love to see the Bald Eagles in flight. They are so graceful and fly so effortlessly. The seagulls sure put up a racket when one or more comes near their territory. This one returned about 8PM and circled for about 10 minutes before diving for a fish. He was successful and flew off towards Rockaway Beach.

Yesterday was a beautiful day with the sun shining most of the day. I sat out in my easy chair most of the day and enjoyed the warmth and serenity of Tillamook Bay. We did a hike around Garibaldi to see what the town has to offer. We found the post office, a small museum and loads of little stores offering everything from beads to bread. Debi found a pair of toaster tongs, so I can no longer give her grief for using a knife to get stuck toast out of the toaster. Interesting store called Myrtlewood.

As nice as yesterday was, today it's back to same old, same old. I really don't know how the locals cope with no sun. It's not cold, but it is damp and overcast. I took Jasmine on her morning walk today, 1.2 miles! Saw some interesting sites as the "city" awakens and begins it's day. The fishermen were out and about and the lumber mill was in full swing. Even the steam engine chugged by, with it's black smoke and shrill whistle that echoed through the canyons.

We tried out the Fishereman's Cafe yesterday for fish n chips. Not bad....better than those we had at the Bowpicker in Astoria, but not as good as the ones at Pelican's Roost in Auburn, Ca.

Tillamook Bay in the early morning. We experienced a very low tide this morning. As you can see in the picture, we could literally walk out to the pier in the distance. We will see an equally impressive high tide tonight. These huge swings are dramatic to watch. What's also interesting is how the birds react to the tidal swings.

The building in the middle is the Pier's End and the one on the left houses three 44' Coast Guard Rescue Boats.







We did get a little crabbing in. I put a small crab pot on the end of my Salt Water Rod and let Josh try his luck at catching the critters. After an hour or so, all we did was feed them. Maybe we will try again tomorrow with something more substantial than the small pieces of chicken. Locals recommend turkey drumsticks, so we will try that. If you use fish, the seals will steal it.






On our morning walk, we watched the local lumber mill at work. The load of timber this forklift/crab has in it's claw came off a lumber truck. They pull the truck up, take off the binders and this crab picks up the entire load in one swoop.

The local Steam Locomotive begins it's day with it's first run up the coast along the ocean.  It will return in a couple hours.











As I said, yesterday was a beautiful day ! As the sun began to set though, this was a prelude to what today was to be like. Notice the huge fog bank moving in towards the shore. Ugh!

The building pictured above was the original Coast Guard boathouse. It was built around 1935 and was used until the early 1960s when the new facility was built. It sat vacant for almost 10 years before being taken over by the Port of Garibaldi. It has served as a bait shop and most recently as a residence as there is a 1200 sq. ft. apt. featuring hardwood floors and two bathrooms. Interestingly enough, when boat pass close to the pier, it sways a little. I can only imagine what living there would be on a daily basis or during a large storm!

Here's Debi's soon to be famous toast tongs! They are made of Myrtlewood, which is a tree found on the Oregon coast. It grows in a symmetrical shape, with long flat leaves that can be used as seasoning. The Myrtle grows very slowly, has a base of about 6' and can be up to 80' tall. This slow growth produces a very close grained and fine textured wood. It's roots draw up iron, copper and other minerals causing the wood to take on colors and infinite patterns. It is extremely heavy and does not float.

The Myrtle also grows wild in Galilee, and is used both ornamentally and ritually as one of the four species of the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles.

Tourist day today....went into Tillamook for some cheese and ice cream..! Took the Three Capes scenic drive to Netarts Bay. Stopped by Cape Meares Lighthouse and hiked their trails. Very pleasant day, not much sun but no rain and the humidity wasn't too bad. After dinner we walked the pier and watched the crabs and fish interact with the seagulls. Josh wants to see the air museum just south of Tillamook, so we put that on our "to do" list. An all around relaxing day.....




 Josh and I started the day with a long walk around the harbor and bay. We heard the steam whistle and decided to head towards the tracks. The train had just left the station and was headed north as we came upon the tracks. So, I snapped a couple quick pictures.

This is the remnants of an old lumber mill that operated in the City of Garibaldi in the early 1920s. The Hammond mill started in 1924 and the smokestack was added in 1928. The Great Depression caused the mill to close in 1935. Today, only the smokestack remains. Smokestacks were built, by the way, to keep the smoke from the mill from suffocating the town's populace.

Cape Meares Lighthouse...Built in 1889 and began duty in 1890. It is the smallest lighthouse on the Oregon coast and was built with bricks made right on site. The Fresnel lens was shipped around Cape Horn and hoisted onto the lighthouse by a wooden crane also built on site with local timber. The original oil lamp was replaced in 1910 with an oil vapor lamp, similar to the Coleman lanterns. In 1934 the lamp was converted to electricity.

This is a Sitka spruce tree located near the Cape Meares lighthouse. It is believed this tree was created by early indian tribes and used as a ceremonial tree. To create such a tree it's branches were held horizontally while still supple. Once the desired shape of the tree materialized, it's branches were allowed to grow vertically. This was a common practice of many of the coastal indian tribes. Each branch of this tree extends almost 16' horizontally from the base and over 100' vertically. It is estimated at over 250 years old. It has been featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not and has been described as one of the modern Wonders of the World. It is believed to be where Tillamook tribes held sacred rites, Shamans performed ceremonies and elders made important decisions.

All along the Oregon coast you will find little surprises. Here, we stopped at a wide spot in the road to snap a quick photo of the Oregon coastline with the waves breaking on the shore.

Here is a shot of Netarts Bay, which is an Estuary. An estuary is simply a partially enclosed coastal body of water with one or more fresh water streams that feed into it, and has an open access to the open sea. This combination of fresh and sea water provide high levels of nutrients and make them among the most productive habitats in the world.

If you looked at the earlier picture of our campsite, looking out the front window of our coach, you saw a pier going across to the building at the center. This is that pier. It is 3' wide and about 500' long with "turnouts" placed every 80' or so. These turnouts are used for fishing and crabbing. Garibaldi is known for it's crabbing and clamming. We might try some crabbing later this week, but I have to convince Debi to cook them if we are successful....

Not too much to report today....we saw what appeared to be the sun yesterday afternoon....OK, it was actually a very nice day. But, it's time to move on...




Josh and I went to the beach and played in the sand with Jasmine. She was excited when we got back to the coach as she got her third bath this week. That sand gets everywhere!!! Josh and I went to the pool and spa...100 degree water...ahhhhh!







Left Long Beach behind and headed down the coast into Oregon. Someone told us there was sun there...lol... Highway 101 is very picturesque but lots of curves and tunnels. We passed through some towns like Wheeler, Manhattan Beach, Rockaway Beach and Cannon Beach.








Arrived in Garibaldi this afternoon to some sprinkles but tomorrow and the rest of the week is supposed to be sunny.












Our site is right on the water so we have an unobstructed view from our front window. Here's a picture from our front window at low tide.









Another picture of the cove that we oversee. Notice the steam engine in the background. This little engine provides tourist tours up the coast. It travels along the ocean between Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach on up to a town called Wheeler. They also have dinner trains that run once a week. I'll try to get a better picture later this week.

 











 Interesting little port. Lots of fishing boats, canneries and restaurants. Tomorrow we will explore it further. We're only 10 miles from the Tillamook Cheese Factory so a factory tour is on our agenda too.....

Here's a couple of unsavory characters that we encountered near a restaurant in the Port. I had to rescue Debi before they Shanghai'd her out to sea....she looks really scared doesn't she..?

This guy was hanging around in front of a fish n chips restaurant...but it was closed...Debi spent awhile trying to get him to tell her when it would open again, but alas, he wouldn't tell her...we will be back tomorrow when they're open and I'll bet he'll still be hanging around......arrrggh....

Went into Astoria today to replenish our food supplies and do some wandering around town. Took the trolley along the riverwalk. Nice touch, as the docents provide a little information about the boardwalk and the area known as Cannery Row.  After a quick lunch we went to the Astoria Column. The now have small gliders for sale that you can throw off the top of the column. Great idea for the kids. Saw several deer and a fawn on the grounds. Nice views of Astoria and the surrounding areas.


This is the Astoria Column. It was built in 1926 and served as a beacon for the Pacific Northwest for over 80 years. It stands 125' tall and is built on a knoll 600 feet above the City. The viewing platform is accessed by a spiral staircase inside the structure. There are 164 steps in the stairway with several platforms spaced about every 35 stairs. These platforms are welcome as the stairway is very steep.  That's Debi and Josh waving at the top.

This is one of the many views of the shipping areas in Astoria. Here, trucks unload large timber that is loaded on ships for overseas delivery.









A bite to eat at the famous "BowPicker" fish and chips restaurant. Five pieces of fish along with a generous portion of chips for $10. It wasn't bad. Not fishy and not greasy, but not as good as some of the fish and chips we've had. IMHO, it is a little over rated, but it does have ambiance.

 Another view of the Astoria Bridge as seen from the Oregon side. The pilings in the foreground are from a long ago cannery that was destroyed in a storm many years ago.  The pilings are not removed as they are still serviceable in the event they decide to build another structure there. The placement of the pilings are a story in itself.






This trolley runs along the river walk adjacent to Cannery Row. About 50 years ago, this area was a main shipping port for fisheries in the area. As the fisheries played out, the area became more of a tourist attraction as the canneries found places like San Francisco and Seattle more economical for shipping purposes.




The trolley was originally from San Antonio, Texas where it was decommissioned a long time ago. It lay abandoned in a storage yard until it was discovered by the City of Astoria. After negotiations, the trolley was shipped to Astoria for reconstruction. SA leased it to the City of Astoria for $1/yr. However, after it's rebuild, SA decided they wanted it back. After months of negotiations, the City of Astoria bought the trolley for $50,000. Today, it is maintained and run completely by volunteers. Here's Debi and Josh enjoying the ride.

Beach Day....! Too bad the sun didn't cooperate...overcast but not too cold. Would prefer 75-80 degree weather under clear blue skies, but we're in Washington...lol. Supposed to be sunny the next few days so we shall see...we had fun anyway and Jasmine chased the birds and played in the surf. Joshua built a sand/driftwood fort and Debi and I searched for sand dollars and sea shells....






First you gather some driftwood....BIG pieces...

Then you have to dig a pit....

Let's try this way and see if digging is easier.....











Nope..so back to the left.....nice thing is it keeps you busy for hours....











The heck with the pit....I'll just sit on top and call it all good...!!!

C'mon in ! The water's fine...well maybe a little cold....but at least it gets the sand off. You mean I gotta take a shower too..??

 Hmmm...is it pointing the way to some buried treasure.....???

Today, let's talk a bit about locks, dams and bridges. I was curious as to why the Columbia River still has the barge traffic it does as it's about a 4-5 day voyage from Portland to the Tri-Cities. Since there are railroad tracks on both the Washington and Oregon sides of the River that are used very frequently and the steady stream of truck traffic on Interstate 84, it seemed like river travel would be the most inefficient way to move goods. Here's what I found out. Usually there are two types of barges that navigate the River waterway; a single barge and a 4 barge tow. The single barge holds as much cargo as 134 trucks or a 35 car freight train. The 4 barge tow holds as much cargo as a 130 car freight train or 538 semis !!! That's a lot of traffic off the Interstate per barge....

For bridges, let's look at some pictures....


Longview Washington is an Ocean Port that moves huge quantities of products worldwide. One of these commodities is lumber. Here you can see one of the huge ships being loaded with logs to be shipped overseas to be made into a variety of products including housing, furniture and construction projects. In order for cars and trucks to cross the rivers these huge ships use, we must use bridges. These bridges in many cases must be fairly large ones. Two of these we crossed yesterday coming to Long Beach, Washington.



The first, outside Longview, Washington is the Lewis and Clark Bridge. This large structure is a cantilever style bridge that crosses over to Ranier, Oregon. The bridge is 1.5 miles long and rises 220 feet above the river. Some folks have no problem going over such a structure and some prefer not to do so. I'm one who doesn't have a problem as long as there is no construction.

Well, no such luck today !...No biggie, you say. How much of a hassle can a few cones cause anyway ? Looks like the lane narrows a bit but at least it's two way traffic.

Well, the lane did get narrower, and we got to share the road with some semi's and a few log trucks. I decided to give the camera to Debi to continue taking pictures.









Since the Lewis and Clark bridge turned out to be a piece of cake we decided to cruise the Astoria Bridge which crosses back into Washington from Oregon at Astoria, Oregon. This beautiful bridge is 4.1 miles long and is a steel girder continuous truss bridge spanning the Columbia River. It stands over 200' above the water and is 28' wide. It is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.

They must have known we were coming so guess what...? Yep...more construction.

At least it gave me time to snap a couple pictures of the cargo ships waiting off shore. These ships were obviously empty and waiting to take on cargo. You can tell that by how high they sit in the water. See the black top and the orange lower portion of the ship? When full the orange portion will be submerged. We watched them fill a ship with logs and could not believe how low in the water the ship was when full.




Finally, construction ends and we are on our way. This bridge rises over 200' on the Oregon side then dips down as the River is shallower here. It continues over to the Washington side where it rises again to allow more vessel traffic. Guess what ? More construction there.... They are stripping and repainting this bridge in it's entirety. The painting will take up to 4 years to complete at a cost of over 20 million dollars. Consider that cost in today's dollars as this bridge originally cost only 28 million to build in 1966. It also took four years to build it!

At last we arrive in Long Beach...Washington, not California.... we will be here at least a week before heading south and back into Oregon. We refueled in Astoria at Pacific Pride as they are RV friendly and fuel is much cheaper in Oregon than Washington.  We found their station easy access for our rig, they double filter the fuel and use the 40 gal/minute nozzles. We were back on the road in about 15 minutes.




Here we are, all secure in our site at Thousand Trails. This is an interesting park as each post is shared with two sites. Each post has a 50amp and a 30amp service. First come, first serve on the amperage. We found this site next to a yearly site so we have 50amp.  We will catch up on the laundry this week. Tomorrow we head to the beach...!!!