We drove down Interstate 5, the main North South artery in Washington State, past Vancouver, and over the Columbia River through Portland, and then turned right, heading west.
On the way, we stopped to see the biggest living spruce tree in the country, it was between 500 and 750 years old, but it was dying, so we could not get too close in case it fell over!!
The entire trip to the coast and back was filled with so many different types of pine trees, as far as the eye could see, up and down all the hills and mountains.
Fabulous shades of green.
Also, it seemed like millions of humungous logging trucks, whizzing along all these narrow roads.
We had no clue as to what we would find, just wanted to paddle in the Pacific Ocean.
We came to the delightful little coastal town of Cannon Beach. A very touristy town, but there wasn’t the gaudiness usually associated with these types of places, and the buildings, mostly single story, were all wood shingle construction, and very quaint.
The beach was huge, with the Pacific rollers crashing in, all the way from China!
( seems everything comes from there these days)
The sky was a wonderful variety of blues, and the view from the beach, looking back over the town, with the pine covered mountains rising all around, was stunning. Look it up on the internet for a better idea of this place.
On the way back, we went North on 101, the coastal road, to Astoria, and over a bridge across the mouth of the Columbia River so high we was looking down on the seagulls!
We saw a sign for a fish hatchery, so we thought, mega salmon and free dinner.
No such luck. All the fish were about 2 inches long, and were pumped through a pipe onto work tables where loads of women clipped a piece off one of their fins, and then they were pumped back into different holding tanks, to feed up and get big, and eventually get released into the wild blue yonder, or somewhere.
We were told that the fins were clipped so that when they are caught by anglers they can be kept, but unclipped fish must be put back. Anyone who can work out the logic of that can go straight to the top of the class!
The seagull in the picture attached had somehow got into the holding area, which was supposedly completely bird proof, and was gorging himself on all the fish, so much that he couldn’t fly out, only waddle with a limp!
We then took another detour to a wonderful old covered bridge, made entirely of wood, even the bit you drive on. Where are Merril Streep and Clint Eastwood when you need them?
The best views of the day were late on, when we got off the freeway near our campsite. It is called the Tri Mountain area, and the weather was so clear we could see all the three mountains in question.
They were Mt. St. Helens, the one we didn’t get to see yesterday, Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood.
In no particular order, they are 12,000 ft, 11500 ft and 8500 ft.
10 points to the first reader who correctly identifies all 3, together with their respective heights!!!
Wildlife watch today was pathetic. One chipmunk and a street sign warning of elks.
