Well, you get everyone in the car and drive to the shore. Do not misunderstand - it was not warm-but the sun was shining brightly and so we bundled up and had a wonderful day!
John had not been on our previous drives to Tillamook and up the coast to Astoria and then over to Washington to the Long Beach area and Cape Disappointment so that's what we decided to do. The days are short and the roads can be icy in the shadows so we got on the road first thing and planned to make it home by dark.
The drive was quite a different look since our last trip in fall. The trees are leafless and forest stark and cold - yet quite beautiful in it's simplicity! There is more water in the creeks and rivers and many more waterfalls. Fields are white with frost and a sort of foggy haze and farm animals breath hangs in the air. All of these things kept us in the warm car and kept us from taking pictures to share with YOU! Sorry - not sorry!!!
We took the 26 to the 6 and arrived in Tillamook in time for breakfast at the cheese factory. It was absolutely delicious and we were almost ALONE in the huge visitor center and restaurant complex. We recommend the Cheddar Bacon Biscuit Sandwich! The last time we visited was in the late summer and it was absolutely packed with long lines - waiting several hours for an ice cream cone!
The drive from Tillamook to Astoria along the 101 is beautiful and we made several stops to enjoy the winter ocean and the huge rock/islands just off shore. Everywhere you look is the "perfect picture"! It was amazing to see beaches strewn with huge logs - piled up for miles suggesting how angry the stormy seas can be.
We drove across the Astoria-Megler Bridge to Washington over the 4 mile mouth of the Columbia river. The bridge was built in 1966 as a joint venture of Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation and immediately replaced the ferry that used to provide river crossings that took about 1/2 hour and were not available in inclement weather. Side note - Pam LOVES bridges!!!
We took a left and drove up the Long Beach Peninsula stopping at the North Head Lighthouse to enjoy the ocean panorama and then to Waikiki Beach to view the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse which is where Lewis and Clark got their first look at the Pacific Ocean! We passed our favorite restaurant in Chinook but decided to eat in Astoria. We did find the cranberry bogs and it was amazing to see entire fields bright red with floating cranberries!!!
Astoria is a charming town with much to offer and next time we plan to spend the night so we can walk the streets and enjoy all that this oldest city in Oregon has to offer. This day we decided to eat lunch at Mo's Seafood and Chowder and thoroughly enjoyed our steaming bowls of clam chowder while perched on the edge of the Columbia watching ocean going freighters navigate their way up the river. It was really hard to get back in the car for the drive home - but a bit easier because we knew we would be back very soon!
Gabi
