Capes, Waves & Pelicans

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Sunday, October 19, 2008

Today we started out earlier in order to have enough time to see more sights along the Oregon Coast, and make it to the Washington border by the end of the day. Well, 9:30 am was early for Kayla anyway. It was a beautiful day and luckily the fog had mostly lifted so we could enjoy the sights, as well as the sounds and smells of the sea.

We stopped several times and took short walks, either along a pathway, or else the beach. Saw thousands of birds, either on their way south for the winter, or already here to spend the winter on warmer water. Pelicans, gulls, oyster catchers, and many others we couldn’t name. We have lots of video and photos of birds on rocks.

Richard perfected his video technique on ocean waves. Then he perfected it again. And again. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the viewpoints and the various capes, bays and beaches all along the coast.

A visit to the Tillamook Cheese Factory verified that they are still in business, doing better then ever, and the visitor centre was much the same as when we visited more than ten years ago after climbing Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens with two friends. Bought some cheese and ice cream cones. Yep, the taste is just as good, too.

Tillamook Cheese Factory is one of the top ten most visited places in Oregon. But having visited Wensleydale Cheese Makers in York, England, and actually seen the cheese making process, all done by hand, we were less impressed with all the covered vats and automated systems at Tillamook. Granted the volume does not compare, and we visited on a Sunday when most everything was not operating, but still the Wensleydale Cheese Makers were much more interesting, and the process was definitely much more ‘hands on’.

After a short drive further and a fish and chips dinner, we made our way to the last campground of this road trip - the KOA at Fort Stevens, Oregon.

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Photos

Otter Rock View Point
We have no idea why it's not called Pelican Rock. There wasn't an otter in sight.

Devils Punchbowl
There were surfers just around the point here.

Cape Kiwanda
People could drive onto the beach here.

Cape Kiwanda
A surfer hangout. People camped right on the beach.

Arcadia Beach
Richard catching his last wave video of the day,