A Sense of History

What a time we are having on the Oregon coast.  Although we live in Oregon we seldom take the time to explore in depth our own back yard.  Isn't it funny how even RVers seem to think the grass is always greener somewhere else?  Maybe it’s the fun and excitement of going somewhere far away, somewhere you have never been before.  Perhaps it is just the planning of such a trip that generates excitement and a sense of adventure.

I know I am guilty of wanting to “take a trip”  and go far, far away.  But as we have read this summer in blogs from Rick, Al, Kate, Dave and Carol, and SO many others, there is beauty and adventure to be found close to home as well.  We have taken many trips to the Oregon coast but we seldom take the time to really immerse ourselves in any one area and to appreciate the history of that place.

I enjoy the history of the Oregon coastal region, especially the tales of Lewis and Clark and their explorations.  Russ has been reading a book about the Lewis and  Clark expedition called ‘Undaunted Courage’ by Stephen Ambrose.  The book details the mission of the Corps of Discovery as they traveled westward to the Pacific Ocean.  We visited Seaside today and some of the historic sites in the area. 

I admit it…I am a saltoholic.  I love salt and I always seem to have the salt shaker nearby.  But back in the days of the Lewis and Clark expeditions, salt was more than just a flavor enhancer.  It was a necessity as a preservative for meat.  And they couldn’t just run down to Safeway and buy a big bag of salt whenever they needed it.  While the expedition members wintered at Fort Clatsop about 15 north of Seaside, a contingent of men labored near the beach at what is now Seaside to produce the salt they needed.  This site has been preserved as an historic monument.



There’s not much to it…not what I expected at all. 



Here men lugged water from the ocean to boil in five kettles, 24 hours a day, to obtain the salt they needed. 





That’s a lot of water to be hauling from the ocean in the dead of winter.  I know how cold and miserable it can be on the Oregon coast in winter and this is not a job I would want to do.  Just gathering enough wood to keep the fire going would be a major chore.  I wonder where we would be today if not for these adventurous and brave explorers? 

From the site of the Saltworks, there is a short trail to the beach.  I wondered what it would be like to carry bucket after bucket of water from this vast ocean to be boiled down for salt – day after day, night after night.



This is Seaside as it is today.





This is a busy tourist town with narrow streets and lots of traffic.  I can only imagine what it is like in the high season or on a weekend.  Lots of interesting shops and galleries but unfortunately, my back is on the fritz and I couldn’t do a lot of walking today.  But when the traffic got busy I was ready to get out of town anyway!

Now I know some people love city living and high rises and all that but I am not one of them.  To each his own, but for me personally, I would feel like an animal in a cage if I had to live in one of these places…ocean view or not!



Not saying it’s a bad idea – it’s just a bad idea for me!!  Russ liked this house with the lobster shutters.



We  also visited the small Seaside Historical Museum.  It is tiny but for $2 it was a good stop.  Do you see that wooden measuring device near the bottom of the photo?  Does anyone know what that is?  I remember using those many times.



Included in the admission is a tour of the historic Butterfield Cottage.  This house was moved from its original location in what is now Seaside’s downtown core area to its present location next door to the museum in 1984.  This is the only cottage that has survived from the original Grimes Grove area and was built in 1893.


And can you imagine wash day in this old cottage?  The museum lady said they started the laundry every Monday at 5:30A and finished at 9:00P at night.  WHEW!



Back at our campsite, we are enjoying a sparsely populated park.  Peace and quiet reigns once more.

Pigs, Pancakes, and Precipices

We had lunch at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City with Russ’s sister and her husband.  Alice and Elmer are always fun to be with and we enjoyed them very much.  However, can’t say as much for the lunch.  We should have just gone to Spirit Mountain near where Al and El live but we thought something different might be fun.  Sorry, but I cannot recommend the lunch at Chinook Winds…but I can recommend spending time with Alice and Elmer!!!

On the way down the coast from Lincoln City we stopped at Cape Foulweather.  The sign says “Where the history of Oregon began” but I don’t know why!  The view point is at the top of a 500’ precipice. 



Be warned – there are no restrooms here – and that is why I did not hang around long enough to know why the sign lays claim to the beginning of Oregon history.  I know, TMI, but someone may find this information helpful.



Looking over the edge, I was glad for the safety fence.



These are the kelp beds that are at the bottom of that cliff.


Looking south, the view takes in the resort area of Otter Crest.  I just have to brag again on my new camera.  This is the view with no zoom.  I put a box around one of the houses.



From the same vantage point I zoomed in on the area noted above and this is what I saw.  This photo can be enlarged for even more detail…NO, I am not a stalker – just trying out my camera!



One thing that really impresses me is the lack of “shake” when fully zoomed.  This photo was taken just hand held and there is virtually no shake or distortion.  I think I like this camera!

We have all heard of the roads in Alaska and the damages from “frost heave”.  I think we found something similar here is Oregon.  Maybe it is “rain heave?”



 
On our way out of town the next morning we stopped for breakfast in Lincoln City at the Pig N Pancake.  Now there’s a place I CAN recommend.



I am really picky about my pancakes and I can say without reservation, these are the best pancakes I have ever tasted. 



There are six Pig N Pancake locations on the Oregon coast and we have visited two of them (so far!).  I am sure we will be back.  It isn’t cheap but it is good.  The location in Lincoln City has RV parking the back but in Seaside there is only curbside parking and it’s not for big vehicles!

Now we are off to head north to Fort Stevens.  I know, we were just there but with Rusty getting sick and leaving early, we simply did not have enough time to fully explore the area.  There is lots to see and we’re going to give it our best shot!

Just Coasting

The westering sun cast long shadows over the landscape as the sky slowly darkened from the bright cerulean of daytime.  The whomp of an ax connecting with wood played a strange and haunting drumbeat across the meadow, and the fragrance of hot pine pitch wafting on gentle evening breezes filled the air with memories of campfires past.  In the distance, dogs woofed out greetings or warnings to others of their kind as they dragged their humans along on nylon tethers.  But wait, what is that strange silence that fills the air?  With ears attuned to the unaccustomed stillness I struggle to ascertain what this absence of sound means.  And then it hits me.  There are no plastic wheels skittering along the pavement.  The skateboards and Big Wheels have fallen silent, and the whoop and holler of high-pitched voices screaming for no other reason than to scream, is gone.  It’s the day after Labor Day and the kids are all back in school!

Okay, don’t go gettin’ your panties in a wad.  I like kids as much as the next person (well, depending on who that person is!).  I raised four of them myself and have enjoyed being a grandma to eight.    But there is something about a campground after Labor Day that just feels NICE.  Oh sure, there is the occasional squall of a babe not yet old enough for school, or the yipping of a dog that is not well-controlled by his owners, but, by and large, we are finding lots of peace and quiet right now.  It’s pretty nice.

We are currently at Beverly Beach SP, just a few miles north of Newport on the Oregon coast.  I admit to a certain amount of prejudice, but I think the Oregon State Park system is one of the best.  We have the best of both worlds here…the feeling of being surrounded by nature, yet with water and electricity to maintain our creature comforts. 

We didn’t have a reservation for this park so didn’t get one of the choice sites but it’s all good anyway.  Our table and fire pit is behind the rig rather than beside it but we still have a pretty good setup and plenty of privacy. 



We set up our flip ‘n’ fold screen room and it works just fine…easy too. 



The weather here on Wednesday was wonderful.  Bright sunny skies except for patches of fog along the beach, and a low fog bank hanging across the horizon just off shore.  We drove north along the coast and visited Devil’s Punchbowl.





Half hidden by the offshore fog bank, is Otter Rock, a local landmark.  Click on the photo below to see some pelicans flying in from the right.


One of these pelicans landed on that out cropping of rock which was probably 300 yards from where we were standing. 

My sweet husband just bought me a new point and shoot Panasonic camera prior to this trip.  I was able to zoom in on the pelican waaaaay far out on the rock.  Although it is not the quality you would get with an SLR equipped with a long lens, I’m pretty happy with the capabilities of this little pocket camera.



 
 

We also encountered some local wildlife along the path.  These were the FATTEST squirrels I have ever seen and they were not about to move out of the way.  They trailed along behind us or ran across our path begging for food.



Now, I’m not one to get on a soap box concerning the feeding of wild squirrels, but this cannot be healthy!  This was not the only hefty one we saw either.  The one pictured below chased after me and stopped in my shadow waiting for a handout.  I didn’t have anything with me but I undoubtedly would have tossed a peanut his way if I had a chance.



If you have ever stuck a toe into the waters of the Oregon coast, you know it’s not like Newport, CA.  Yet we have our own group of dedicated surfers.  Even with dry suits on, I don’t know how they stand it.  Enlarge the photo to see those little dots out in the water.  Those are PEOPLE, not seals!






As we were headed back to the car, Russ spotted a lost pirate sword on a nearby picnic table.  He has a good imagination!



Oh well, if it makes him happy!  We were pretty chilled by then so we popped into Mo’s for a cup of chowder as a warm up.  We were their first customer of the day and the chowder was better than what we had last time we went to Mo’s.  It was more like soup than a big glob of white glue and I actually found some small bits of clam hiding amongst the generous serving of potatoes!  It was hot and that was all that mattered.  It warmed us and fueled us up for our next adventure.

Next stop…Depot Bay, the world’s smallest harbor.

P.S.  Thank you Kate for caring, you da bomb!

A Very Good Week and meeting a fellow blogger

First, thank you to all who commented on my blog yesterday.  My dad was indeed a wonderful man and I count myself lucky to have had him for a father…and also just for being in this family.  I don’t know what I would do without my brother and sisters…and my extended family...they are the greatest!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled Blog!!

Well, we are without grandkids again and will be spending this coming week in recovery!   Just kidding…we love it when we have grandkids around but we do get tired.  We had a great time with Bekah, Corbin, and Brendan this week.

We had swimming ...


…and lounging by the pool…



…And pizza by the river…



…we had special “guests” at the pizza parlor (that’s a chance you take when you choose to dine outside!)…



…we visited a local park…




…and a local farm…

Yes, this is at the farm.  They have a full playground, along with the goats to pet.  They also have a place for weddings and in the fall, hayrides and a corn maze.  It's a fun place but I have my doubts about how much of the produce they sell (other than the berries and corn) is actually grown on the farm.  Oh well, it's fun.

…and another park where we found a tree that looked like it belonged in a Harry Potter movie (along with the bridge)…



…and a wonderful sitting tree…


…and a grandpa bench…


…and a foot print we are certain was made by Big Foot…


…and just a happy place to be.


We also visited the lake but it was pretty nasty that day.



We saw some paddle boarders….don’t think I’m going to try this anytime soon.


Today, when all was quiet on the western front, and it was again just Russ and Donna (as opposed to Grandma and Grandpa, we decided we were too tired to fix dinner and instead went to Sizzler for their senior steak dinner.  It was YUMMY!

Then we decided to go visit Barbara of Me and My Dog.  This is a first for us.  I never thought I would go knock on the door of someone I had never met before.  Somehow, with a fellow blogger, I just felt like I knew her already.  Barbara is staying at Armitage park which is only about 10 minutes from our house.  We found her easily enough and had a nice visit.  Katie is just an adorable little doggie and Barbara is just as nice as she sounds on her blog.  We might get together later in the week for another visit. 



So another week comes to an end and so does another blog.  Good Night!