Eco Tour

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blog 09-22-17 Eco Tour



As we were sitting having coffee this morning Ginnie noticed we had visitors outside. There was a deer coming out of the woods and nibbling on some bushes as it walked along. Then 2 more deer came out of the woods looking a little smaller and followed the first and ate from the same bushes. We were excited to see them, we had been notciing hoof prints here and there but never seeing the deer. Yes, they do exist. They are black tail deer.

We started out the day with a mission in mind. Ginnie wanted to buy a new 50 amp electric cable for the motorhome and it was hard to find one of those cables. We called and visited several places then one company in a town near Astoria said they had one. I wanted to get Watson's nails clipped and there was a Petco 2 blocks from the rv supply so we could take care of 2 jobs in one trip. Watson was in and out of the salon, having his nails done and we headed to the rv store. They had the cable alright but it had the wrong kind of connection for the rv side and they had no adaptor to make it work. Back to the drawing boards. There is another rv supply store about 1 1/2 hrs from here that we will pass on Monday so we'll try again.

Back from town we grabbed a quick lunch then headed to the beach so the boys could get a run on the sand before we left them for our excursion.

At 3 we headed into Astoria to hop a boat at the marina to take us on a 3 hour cruise. There were 4 others waiting at the designated spot when we got there but no boat captain. We waited til after 4 then gave Chris (our captain) a call where he informed us he was stuck in traffic and we should hop on aboard, he would be there shortly.

Chris did arrive in about 5 min with cheese, wine and crackers in hand so it was worth waiting for. He had cushions that he put on the upper deck benches and he suggested we all go up there for a better view. We could see a lot more from up there so we sat tight while Chris untied the lines, started the engins and drove us out of the slip and harbor then into the Columbia River.

It was a beautiful evening with lots of billowy clouds and descending sun. We rode slowly out into the mouth of the Columbia and under the huge bridge that is 3 1/2 miles long, connecting Washington and Oregon. The bridge has to be tall enough for the ocean going freighters to get under and it scared the socks off me the first time I drove my motorhome over it 2 yrs ago. Pictures

Next stop was a look at the pilot boathouse where the pilots wait for the next incoming freighter. A pilot has to take the ships through the channel, one of the most dangerous in the world then another pilot takes the ship up the river to the waiting shipyards or supply docks. There is a 7 mph current during high and low tides and 30 ft swells are not out of the norm, so it can be a tricky process.

The next little alcove had abandoned docks loaded with sea lions and stellar seals. There is a battle between the seals and fisherman because the seals can eat up to 7 salmon a day and the seals are protected by the government. There is an overabundance of seals, at least right here, and the controversary continues. Look at the pictures, what do you think?

We went past old caneries that are now river front condos or hotels then a coast guard cutter in for outfitting. There was an old cruise ship at the same dock and I'll have to look up the company to see where it goes.

There is a buoy station where the buoys are brought in for refurbishing and we all marveled at the size of them, you only see 1/3 sticking out of the water when in use. They are used for channel markers.

In the river out from the edge tankers were waiting for their turn at the docks up river. They dropped only one bow anchor and would point up river when the tide was going out and down river when the tide was coming in. We went very close to one to see how huge the ships are and I really liked the escape pod on the back of the ship, there to evacuate the crew in case of a possible sinking.

Our next destination was around the corner where we head up a small river to see what the area looked like before development. Up the John Day River to a very quiet and peaceful area. We rounded a bend and there were several house boats where people lived year round. Pictures.

This was our turn around spot and as we headed out the sun was behind us and lit everything up beautifully. The forests here are so thick you just can't walk in the woods, you would have to chop your way through with a meshetti. Heaven only knows what lives in there. We have heard that bears and bob cats are here, wouldn't be surprised about anything.

As we rounded the bend to get back into the river the sun was going down and hit us in the face. It was beautiful on the water but the wind had come up a little so the ride home was a little choppy. The temperature also was dropping fast and with the wind in our face it got cold really fast.

One last stop at the current cannery/fish processing plant with the wood stockpile right next door. The logs are stripped of bark then neatly stacked on the dock waiting for loading on ships to South Korea where they make furniture or whatever that we buy from them. If they have too many logs they sink them in the ocean to preserve them til needed.

Soon we were back at our slip and saying goodbye to our skipper and the 4 others on board. It was a really nice cruise and the personality and enthusium Chris has makes him well suited to being a tour captain.

Heading home it was strange to be traveling in almost dark, we have not driven at night at all this whole trip. You can see we are real party people.

The dogs were thrilled to see us and get their dinner but then quickly settled down for the night.

It was a fun, busy day.

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