We arrived in Pacific City on the 20th, and after a few trials and error, finally found a nice camping site in our Thousand Trail campground. We are disconnected from the world here, no cellphone signal, no internet (in the coach, but there is WiFi at the family lodge). We love the campground though, it is quiet, nice and right next to the ocean, we can hear the waves from where we are camping, some sites even have a great view of the water.
After settling down we decided to go explore the area a little. We first went north and took the Three Capes Scenic route and ended up in Tillamook where we visited the cheese factory. The cheese didn’t impress us much, but it was hard to resist the ice cream. We then went to McMinville, to visit the Evergreen aviation museum, home of Howard Hughes impressive Spruce Goose. Made of wood, it has a wider wing span than a Boeing 747, it only flew once.
Pacific city itself is a quaint little town right next to Cape Kiwanda which offers gorgeous sunsets
Road 101 going South from Pacific City offers wonderful views of the Pacific coast line.
The old Hwy 101 offers nice surprises like this Conde B. McCullough bridge with it’s concrete arch and it’s Gothic, Tudor and Art Deco details. In 1916 Mr. McCullough started teaching engineering at Oregon Agricultural College (today Oregon State University) and in 1919 lead the state bridge program. He believed that bridges should be built efficiently, economically and aesthetically.
The Taquina Head Lighthouse, built in 1876, standing 93 feet tall on top of the cape of the same name, still working today to save the lives of seamen who navigate the treacherous waters along the coast of Oregon. It is also a good spot to watch for whales.
Near the lighthouse, at low tide, you can observe aquatic life in tiny tidal pools.
We then stopped in Depoe Bay for a little while, and watched for whales, we saw quite a few, there is a family of Grey Whales who lives in the area year round. The Devil’s punch bowl (strange formation in the rock that looks like a giant punch bowl with waves coming in and out of it) is also a good location to observe whales.
Although the temperature has not been over 62F since we arrived here, and mostly rainy, people are still flocking to the beach and actually swimming in water that is barely above freezing temperatures, while we, Floridians, walk around with jackets on.
A nice surprise for me, I had not seen Chipmunks since I was a kid, but they are abundant here, and so funny to watch. (Although technically, these are not really chipmunks, they are brown ground squirrels)
From the beach
to the mountains
Oregon offers ever changing sceneries which are sure to surprise and delight.
