Yesterday's journey down the Washigton and Oregon coast was filled with unexpected surprises, some wonderful (happening upon the location Lewis and Clark finally reached the Pacific), some less so (getting our car stuck on the sand on that same beach), but the day definitely epitomized the notion that the journey is the destination. In Long Beach, Washington, the kids got to ride the Tilt-a-Whirl and drive a go-kart, two activities I doubt Lewis and Clark could have envisioned would eventually occupy the space they "discovered" all those years ago.
After Long Beach, we took the bridge that separates Washington from Oregon, then stopped in Astoria, a wonderful little town in Oregon where the downtown has a J.C. Penny (which has been there since the 1920's), a couple of historic hotels, and is just as charming as can be. Next up - Cannon Beach, where the rich come to live and play. Designated (by Fodor's) as the Carmel of Oregon's coast, this is definitely a place to visit (though apparently everything costs more here). The one thing Cannon Beach seems to lack is a gas station, which was becoming increasingly necessary as our little rental Ford announced that we had 17 miles before the gas tank reached empty. The next tense (but gorgeous) 13 miles found us driving around the spectacular Neahkahnie Mountain where nary a gas station could be glimpsed.
When we finally reached the outskirts of Manzanita, we were thrilled to be greeted with the full-service treatment, as Oregon allows no self-serve in their gas stations. Finally, we drove through Tillamook, where cows and dairy farms abound, and Daniel developed a craving for cheese that would be fulfilled at dinner in Lincoln City, where he was assured by the hostess that the restaurant served Tillamook cheese. During dinner, we got to watch several people building a bonfire on the beach outside our windows. Others were looking through tide pools. This evening, we hope to do both. We arrived in our ocean front resort in Newport at 9:30 last night; today we are off to explore the aquarium and the town. The beach, of course, is quite chilly, leading Maddie to believe that it's better to live near an ocean you can actually enjoy rather than just view from a distance.
2 comments:
Glad to see Dana back in full beard mode!
I often wonder if that "xx miles to empty" gauge is truly accurate. I hope you don't find out but if you do, be sure to let us know. :-)
I'm sure if I were along, the gas tank would not have reached the empty mark (as Dad likes to point out) :) but I'm glad you were able to find a place before you ran out without me ranting along the way. That's an interesting point Maddie has about the beach, although I always like to walk along the shores when it's cool rather then hot. Again, wonderful pictures of another terrific day on your trip!
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