Capes full of Surprises!

Day 86 – Friday, September 6

Rain falls 90% of the time in the fall in this part of the country, and par for the course, we had rain again today!  So, rather than continue our drive down the coast, we decided to stay put in Tillamook Bay, and drive the Three Capes Scenic Loop.  The loop is a 40-mile scenic byway that takes you off Highway 101 through charming towns, to beautiful sights along the coast, including Cape Meares, Cape Lookout, and Cape Kiwanda.

We were treated to many surprises along the route.   At Cape Meares, we saw the  “Octopus Tree”.  It is a giant Sitka spruce tree, 46 feet in circumference, that looks like an octopus because of the limbs coming out of the base, without a central trunk.  The tree is estimated to be 250-300 years old, and it remains a mystery as to how the limbs grow horizontally, sometimes 16 feet before they curve up the way they do. Some say it was a burial ground for the Indians that were here.

Close to the tree is the Cape Meares Lighthouse, which stands 217 feet above the ocean.  The tower itself is 38 feet tall, and is the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon coast.  It was first lit in 1890, but has since been replaced by an automatic beacon.

In addition to these sights, there were beautiful views of the coastline, and little coves where birds and other wildlife seek refuge.

 

We went through the town of Oceanside, which had an impressive hillside of houses overlooking the coast.

Spot was able to enjoy the beach and once again enjoyed running free. (You can see how shaggy he’s getting…he hasn’t had a haircut in 86 days!) 

 

 

 

 

 

The Three Arch Rocks were in the surf—a misty photo op! This is another designated national wildlife refuge.  It is home to the largest breeding colony of tufted puffins, but we couldn’t see them because of the mist, (or else they were still in Alaska!)

 

 

We continued the drive on the Loop to Cape Lookout, seeing more of the beautiful coastline. 

 

 

 

 

As we continued on the loop, we saw a huge crowd of cars parked along the beach and roadside at Tierra Del Mar.  Of course, we didn’t want to miss anything, so we stopped to check it out.  To our surprise, we discovered they were having the qualifying rounds for the 2013 Freeride World Champtionships—the SurfSlams-- which is Jet Skis doing aerial acrobatics in the surf.   It was really exciting to see them maneuver in the surf, doing jumps and one even did a flip!  It was like a party atmosphere on a Friday afternoon (not sure why all these people weren’t at work?) with music, vendors, etc.  What a fun surprise to discover.

 

We continued on to Cape Kiwanda, and passed sand dunes along the way, as well as trees that leaned and hung over the road, as if someone had put out an arch to welcome our arrival!

At Cape Kiwanda, we stopped at the Pelican Pub Brewery for a late lunch, and a sample of their award winning brew.   Cape Kiwanda is a surfer’s hangout, as the surf is normally pounding.  There were a lot of surfers around, and many were still out in the surf, even though it was raining.  They were also setting up for a wedding, which unfortunately was going to get wet!  We saw a little bit of everything today!….

But that’s not all!  On the way back to the campground, we stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  I’ve seen this cheese in the store, but didn’t know what went into making it.  Wow…what an operation!  It takes 10 pounds (1.16 gallons of milk) to make one pound of Tillamook cheese. They make 167,000 pounds of cheese a day!  Of course we got to sample the cheese, made a purchase, and had to try an ice cream cone on the way out!

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, so we will continue coasting down the coast and look for more surprises, but we have to be in a campground in time to watch the race!  Which brings us to the other surprise of the day…Jeff Gordon’s pole position for the Richmond race…hope they can get ‘er done!

On a somber note…my Uncle passed away this morning in Beaumont, Texas.  He was a good man, with a big heart, a great memory, full of stories, jokes, and a whiz at doing crossword puzzles, or any kind of puzzle!  He provided us with many wonderful memories over the years.  We will miss him, but will cherish the memories of the great times he provided.  Thoughts, love and prayers go out to Aunt Marie, our cousins, and relatives.