Sunshine on Saturday…finally!

Day 87 – Saturday, September 7

Saturday turned out to be a wonderful day of sunshine!  We made our way down the coast to Florence, Oregon.  Along the way were more beautiful coastal views, as we passed the little towns along the way.   All of the towns are fairly close together, and have a unique character—and all enjoy an awesome view of the Oregon coast.  The road curved in and out, up and down, and every now and then, the coast would pop out in front of you—it was a beautiful sight!

Starting at Tillamook, we saw signs “U-pick Oysters”, as well as “Tsunami Hazard Zone”.  This coastline was affected by tsunamis from the 1965 Alaska earthquake.  You can still see the old posts for piers sticking up out of the water, and they look just like they do in Alaska from the same event. Tsunami evacuation route signs are posted at regular intervals along the highway.  The coastline changes at every curve.  There was a turnout at Devil’s Churn, where the waves come in a split rock formation and pound the cliffs.  

 

 

 

We stopped at a fun place…The Sea Lion Caves.  It is the world’s largest sea cave, and they have an elevator that takes you down to the cave where the stellar sea lions live.  It goes down 200 feet and opens into a viewing area.  The sea lions were not in the cave when we went down, but we did get to see the cave, with the water flowing in and out. We did see the sea lions playing around outside. It was quite an interesting place! 

From the outside viewing stand, we could see the Heceta Head Lighthouse on the shore.  This lighthouse has been around since 1854, and is rated as the strongest light on the Oregon coast…it can be seen from 21 miles away! We could see the beacon flash about every 10 seconds.  The scene looked like a postcard!

We could also see lots of sea birds and waves crashing against the rocks…something we really haven’t seen much of.

I learned another new word…estuary.   It is where a river meets the sea… there is fresh water as well as salt water, and the birds and wildlife love the environment created by this phenomenon.  There are many, many estuaries around here, and it’s a haven for birdwatchers. 

 

We went across some beautiful bridges, on the way to Florence.   Once we arrived, we parked at B&E RV Park, and went to Florence’s “Old Town” a neat little area, right on the river. It was bustling with activity, as they were having a classic car show, and a pinewood derby! 

 

We ate lunch on an outside patio (they even brought Spot a water bowl), and watched the fishermen bring in their catch for the day.  There were a couple of guys crabbing on the dock beside us, and it seemed like they brought in a big haul, but ended up throwing most of them back because they were too small.  (They carried a template to measure them with.) 

While we were eating, a seal peeked out of the water, hoping someone would toss him a few morsels.  While walking the docks, we saw jellyfish swimming in the water.  I was able to get a pretty good picture of the lil guy swimming around.  The kids on the dock seemed to enjoy the jellyfish more than the seal!

 

As if we don’t have enough fish already, we bought a tuna from one of the fishing boats that had just come in.   You had to buy the whole fish, then they would fillet it while you watched.  You can’t get much fresher than that!   With all the fish in our freezer, we could open a roadside seafood market!

After putting the fish in the freezer, we went to the beach again (Spot insisted on it!)  It was a different beach…surrounded by sand dunes, and really windy.  There were several kite flyers which made a great backdrop.

 

We got back in time to watch the Richmond race, and were treated to an unbelievable race.  We were on pins and needles the whole time, and a frantic last few laps eliminated Jeff Gordon from the Chase (by only 1 point), despite a top ten finish.  Disappointing, but the team sure gave a great effort.