Astoria, OR

Today, we drove on to Astoria, OR, which is up at the tip of the state before you cross over to WA.  We visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum to see all the exhibits of boats and other historical nautical pieces.  It is located on the Columbia Bar where there were lots of shipwrecks because of the extremely rough water there.  This is where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean and dangerous currents emerge.  It is a notorious location for many shipwrecks.

We didn't get many pictures taken here as we both were tired of taking pictures and wanted to take in the museum and big boats out on the water.

 
This ship was formerly moored near the mouth of the Columbia River.  Built in 1951, it was the fourth and final lightship stationed at the mouth.  It guided vessels across the Columbia River Bar in an area known as the Graveyard of the Pacific.  This was the final lightship to be decommissioned on the U.S. West coast.  She was replaced by an automated navigational buoy soon after, which has also been retired.  The Columbia was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989.

 

 

It was hard to imagine what the Coast Guard had to go through, and still go through, to save sailors who fall overboard because of the rough water on the bar. 

 

 

Cannon Beach, OR

We said goodbye to Malia, www.Maliasmiles.com  after giving Tami a tour of her rig, which is most interesting since Malia collects rocks and meaningful things through her travels, which she has been doing for 12 years.  Tami especially loved looking at her rocks and walking stick which has metal remembrances affixed to it from most of the places she visits.  We continued our journey North.

Tami suggested we spend a night in Canon City, OR, as she had previously been there and said it was a more upscale beach town that we would probably enjoy.  Unfortunately, I have just this photo of the beach here. 

We also got a photo of a herd of Elk grazing near our RV park.  That was fun.  Photo is not good since it was overcast and I took this photo through my windshield.

Cape Lookout on the Pacific Ocean

Tami and I left Forest Grove and headed up the Pacific Coast.  We didn't know for sure where we were going but our goal was to get up to Washington State and to see the lighthouses along the way.
We decided to join Malia, my friend,  at Camp Lookout if we could get a spot for the night.  We were not disappointed because the sunset over the ocean this night was so beautiful.

 

 

 

The next morning, Tami and I got up at 6:00 AM so that we could have our coffee before beachcombing the shore for rocks, sand dollars and other shells.  We needed to be on the beach by 7:00 AM when the tide would be high and hopefully wash some goodies ashore.   

 

 

 The sunrise was just as beautiful as the sunset and Tami and I both agreed it felt so good to be

out on the beach where we were pretty much the only ones there.  It was so peaceful....just the sound of the waves hitting shore. 

 

 

Tami found some unique rocks and driftwood that she will incorporate into her repurposed designs.  Unfortunately, the seagulls got to the sand dollars before we did so all we could find were broken ones.

 

 

 

Cemetary Walk in Forest Grove, OR

Today, Tami and I met up with her friends she works with and took part in a cemetery walk in Forest Grove.  We boarded buses that took us to the Mountain View Memorial Gardens Cemetery where we were able to learn some history about the early settlers of Forest Grove who were buried here.  Volunteers were dressed in period clothing and stood at various tombstones.  They portrayed the person who was buried at that site, telling us how they came to Forest Grove and what it was like back in that time period, which was less than 200 years ago. 

 

 

This gentleman had a particularly interesting story to tell about the person he was reenacting, who was literally his grandfather, Dr. Robert Nixon.  His name was Dr. Robert Nixon III.  His grandfather, whose plot he is standing on, relocated to OR in 1880 and opened his dental office in Forest Grove where later his son practiced dentistry and then his grandson, who you see standing her and telling the story.

 

Pittock Mansion, International Test Rose Garden and Tillakum Bridge

Malia and I had a full day in Portland.  First we visited the Pittock Mansion, a French Renaissance-style Chateau in the West Hills of Portland, originally built as a private home for the Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock and his wife Georiana.  They lived in the mansion from 1914 to 1915 where they celebrated six children.  He was penniless when he arrived in OR at the age of 19 but eventually built an empire incorporating real estate, banking, railroads, steamboats, sheep ranching, silver mining and the pulp and paper industry.  He married 15 year old Georgiana when he was 26.
The City of Portland eventually bought the home and it is now a popular tourist attraction.

 

Each room, with it's lavish décor,  offers a uniquely personal oppportuity to peek into the past and study our world as it was from the viewpoint of one Portland family.

 

 

 

Such a wonderful view of the city from the grounds of this magnificent mansion. 

Not too far from the mansion is the International Rose Test Garden.  Located in Washington Park, there are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties.  Just beautiful!  They were in full bloom today and we were both so in awe of their beauty.

 

We made a new friend.  Actually, this statue represents the rose hosts that wander through the park answering any questions you might have.

 

 

We then drove over to the new passenger bridge, the Tillakum Bridge, which was just opened a  couple of weeks ago,  and walked across it.  We timed it just right as they turn lights on at night which makes the bridge an awesome sight.  This bridge is one of twelve that span over the Willamette River in Portland, OR.

 

 

Our feet were killing us after walking all day, however, and then we could not find Malia's car as by now it had turned very dark and we are not at all familiar with this area.  With the help of some passersby, we finally were able to be on our way, exhausted from a very exhilarating day.  We returned to Troutdale and found an inviting little Italian restaurant where we shared appetizers and wine before turning in.

Columbia Gorge Waterfalls

I decided to go back to the Columbia Gorge along the Columbia River as there is so much to see and do in that area.  My rving friend, Malia, was staying in Troutdale so we made plans to get together to explore that area.   We stopped to visit this post office, located along the Gorge.  It is the smallest post office in the U.S.A. 

Next, we stopped at the Vista House in Crown Point OR, which  was built in 1918 as a rest stop observatory for the travelers on the old Columbia River Gorge Highway.  This is the view from the historical house.

This is the ceiling of this house.  Lots of marble was used to construct this building and you have to wonder how the construction workers were able to get such heavy material up the mountain at that time.

The first fall we visited was the Multnomah Fall, which is the most visited one.

 

We visited three other falls, the Latourell Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the Wak-kee-ma Falls.  This is the Bridal Veil Falls.

 

 

Some of the trails to get to these falls is a little treacherous and you have to be careful where you step as it is a pretty steep fall if you slip on the rocks.

 

Yep....I always knew I was a "tree hugger."  Look at the size of this one. 

 

 

SakeOne in Forest Grove, OR

This is one of few Saki brewing places in the USA.  We went for a tasting and then toured the plant to see how Saki is made. 

 

The rice for the Saki made here is grown in California, not Japan, but interestingly, the Saki brewed here is exported to Japan along with it being shipped to many other countries as well.  It's really that good.

 

 

 

This picture on the building shows how Saki was made before the invention of Saki making machinery.

 

Large stainless steel vats are used to ferment the Saki.

 

I, of course, could not leave without taking the finished product with me.