This morning we decided to sleep in a little bit and we didn’t
make our way out of Newport until 10ish. Our first stop was at Devil’s
Punchbowl State Park, where a huge tide pool creates massive chaos just off the
coast. It is located directly below the lookout point, so we got an up close
and personal look at this natural phenomenon. This wasn’t the only view from
this state park, either. There were some really pretty pictures of the beach as
well, and the pathway around the coast was lined with beautiful greenery.
Despite its name, it was a very serene place to be.
We planned our next stop to be Cape Lookout, but along the
way, we caught a last minute sign pointing to a glass blowing shop hidden deep
in the forest. The shop was called the Alder House, and it was just exactly
something you would find in the forest of Oregon. It was a small shop, with
only four glass blowers working there. It was also the oldest glass blowing
shop in the state. We arrived at the most perfect time, just as a woman was commissioning
one of the blowers (his name was ‘Treasure’) to create a bowl for her. It was
so fascinating to watch this guy turn these little shards of glass into this
beautiful piece of art. We didn’t have time to commission a piece (it takes 24
hours to cool), but we did pick up an ornament for our Christmas tree that is
really awesome. Here is a link to the studio’s website: http://alderhouse.com/Homepage/Home.htm.
It’s a rustic site at best, but it will give you an idea of all the stuff they
do.
Yesterday when we were at the Umpqua lighthouse, the guard
there convinced us to buy a week long State Park pass for $10. Since most parks
are $7.00 to get in, buying a $10.00 pass that granted us access to all state
parks was a really great idea. We used it twice more today, so we easily got
our money’s worth for it. After we left the Alder House, we found our way to
Cape Lookout which is one of the parks our pass was good at. This was a
beautiful state park that not only had amazing views of the Ocean, but also had
easy access down to the beach.
From Cape Lookout, we drove through what looked a lot like
the Midwest to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Jason and I were both really
excited about this stop, and it did not disappoint. I was completely mesmerized
by the entire process of cheese making. And I was so glad to see that there is
still such a human component to the manufacturing of this cheese. Plus, there
were SAMPLES! That pretty much made the stop worthwhile in itself. We also
enjoyed the self-guided tour which included short videos and some really cool
info about the process Tillamook cheese goes through from beginning to end
(literally beginning with what the cows eat). We, of course, had to pick up
some cheese curds!
We then headed through the very popular, yet still small and
artsy community of Cannon Beach on our way to Ecola State Park. The drive
through the wilderness to the gate at the state park was seriously stunning,
but it was only the precursor to the actual park itself. We were expecting to
be able to walk out to the Tillamook Lighthouse, but were shocked to see that
this lighthouse is actually out on an island! Thanks to the telephoto lens, we
were able to see it pretty well.
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| This tree has seen some SERIOUS wind! |
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| The Tillamook Lighthouse |
When we finally pulled into Astoria, we decided to drive
right past the hotel to go to the famed Astoria Column. This has to be one of
the coolest viewpoints we have seen this trip. When we pulled up, it was really
amazing to see the column itself without even having gone inside yet. The
outside of the column is decorated with the story of Astoria and its founding
all the way from top to bottom like a ribbon being wrapped around the
structure. The top of the column
displays the names of Lewis and Clark, who founded Astoria as the final stop on
the Oregon Trail. Climbing to the top of the tower was quite the feat, and we
were both busy by the top we made it up the tiny winding staircase. From the
top, the view took my breath away. We were told that we were lucky to be at the
column on such a beautiful day, and they were right. Directly to the east was
an easily discernible Mount St. Helen’s. To the northeast, in the far off
distance, the top of Mt. Rainier stuck out like a sore thumb, capped in bright
white snow. To the northwest, the bridge across the Columbia River was easy to
see, thus pointing us to the coast of Washington in the distance. Directly
below us, the historic homes of Astoria littered the hillside, and directly to
the west, the Pacific Ocean sprawled out as far the eye could see. It was hard
to take it all in. Everywhere we turned was a new, compelling site to see. I
took as many pictures as I could while we were up there, but to be honest, the height
made my stomach turn upside down, and it wasn’t long before the nausea was
enough for me to head back down the winding stairs.
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| Astoria |
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| Astoria |
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| Mt. Rainier |
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| Mount St. Helen's |
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| Mount St. Helen's |
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| Mount St. Helens is just over my right shoulder |
After the column, we went to check into the hotel, which is
located right on the Columbia River. There’s nothing historic about our hotel,
but it has been recently remodeled to reflect the feeling of this old northwestern
town. Our room is quite cozy, and we took advantage of the hot tub after
dinner.
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| Ug! Out of King beds! |
For dinner, we wound our ways through the hilly streets of
Astoria to a restaurant recommended by our Road
Trip USA book called the Ship Inn. I had the best fish and chips of my
life, and luckily that had a pretty delicious French dip sandwich for my non
seafood-eating husband.
After dinner, it was back to the room to turn in for the
night and check out yet another absolutely striking sunset. This time, though,
it set over the Columbia River, which was a whole new kind of beautiful.
Tomorrow morning we have to get up really early to begin our 4 hour drive to Lake Crescent in Washington.
Tomorrow night we are staying in a rustic cabin on the lake and taking a three
hour rainforest tour! I am sad to leave Oregon, though. The views and sights in
this state have been unlike anything we saw in California. I hope for the same
experience in Washington!
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