A Lighthouse And Some Sea Lions…

Mary is no longer available for RV traveling, but we remain good friends.
Because we have 4,000+ postings, I’ve invited her to continue posting entries on this blog.

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The motorhome is  parked at Thousand Trails South Jetty RV Resort in Florence, Oregon. I’ll depart here May 23rd.

I’ve been here several times over the years and have thoroughly explored the area. So while here this time, I’ll publish some earlier blog entries. Today’s entry was first published May 8, 2011…

 

Yesterday Mary and I took the Bronco about 12 miles north of our current camping location in Florence, Oregon to go sightseeing. On a cloudy and cool day we visited a lighthouse and some sea lions.

First stop was at the Haceta Head Lighthouse. This is a view of the lighthouse as seen on the approach from U.S.Highway 101…

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little closer view…

 

 

 

At the parking area was the obligatory duty seagull…

 

 

 

Along one-half mile path to the lighthouse Mary found this old tree she really liked…

 

 

 

A look back towards the parking area…

 

 

 

A tour guide gave us a very detailed history of this lighthouse. To read all about the history and to see other photos of it, click this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heceta_Head_Light

 

About one mile south of the lighthouse is the Sea Lion Cave. In past years I’ve always driven past this attraction because it impressed me as being a “tourist trap”. But Mary wanted to go and see it…so…yup, that’s what we did.

 

 

 

Here’s a view of the rookery where the sea lions give birth to their young…

 

 

 

Here’s a look down at the entrance to the cave as seen from above…

 

 

 

And finally…the sea lion cave…

 

 

 

I’ve got to tell you that watching sea lions is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Even Mary was complaining about our $11 senior entrance admission as “what a rip-off!” Maybe $2 would have been okay, but it definitely wasn’t worth $11. It seems my perceived opinion that it was a “tourist trap” proved to be true. If you are ever in this area…skip the  Sea Lion Cave.

Other than the “$11 rip-off”, it was another most enjoyable day in the daily life of a full-time RVer!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the photos!

 Yesterday was partly cloudy and 61 degrees. Forecast for today is partly sunny and 65 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Oregon. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

My current travel rig is a 2006 Fleetwood 26′ Class A Motorhome and a towed 1986 Ford Bronco II, Eddie Bauer Model. This photo was taken in the desert at Slab City near Niland, California…

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 600 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original works copyrighted – Jim Jaillet 2016

North Head Lighthouse Near Ilwaco, Washington

The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Long Beach RV Resort in Seaview, Washington. My scheduled departure date is July 10th.

Mary is dealing with her over-flowing to-do list plate which can only be handled by herself. The construction of Mary’s rental continues along…slowly. She now is hoping to rejoin me by early September.  😦

Last year I visited the North Head Lighthouse near Ilwaco, Washington. The location is frequently subjected to winds in excess of 100 miles per hour and days upon days of fog. I was lucky enough to visit it on a delightfully sunny day. You can read about this lighthouse by clicking this Wikipedia link…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Head_Light

 

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

 

This Google Earth view shows the grounds from directly above…

 

 

 

Here’s a 1947 view of the area as seen on a sign…

 

 

 

Heading towards Bell’s View Overlook I can see the top of the lighthouse through the trees…

 

 

 

I came across some old concrete structures that were part of Fort Canby during World War II…

 

 

 

Looking north up the Washington coast as seen from Bell’s View Overlook…

 

 

 

A sign showing a map of the area…

 

 

 

Walking towards the lighthouse I looked south where I can see the jetty and Oregon on the far shore overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River…

 

 

 

Finally I approach the lighthouse…

 

 

 

The lighthouse is 116 years old and starting to show its age…

 

 

 

I love photographing patterns and forms. The view is inside the lighthouse looking straight up towards the top…

 

 

 

Here’s the view leaving the lighthouse on a different path. The effect of the strong northerly winds show plainly on the trees…

 

 

 

To see the other 36 photos that I took, click on the below photo…

 

 

North Head Lighthouse Near Ilwaco, Washington

 

 

I’ve been here in the Ilwaco area several times before and always enjoy this beautiful area.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

Yesterday was a cloudy/sunny day at 63 degrees. Forecast for today is cloudy/sunny and 66 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

 

 

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 600 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2015

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse Near Ilwaco, Washington

The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Long Beach RV Resort in Seaview, Washington. My scheduled departure date is July 10th.

Note: Western Washington experienced record-breaking heat during June which is continuing into July. I’ve been on the Pacific coast for almost two months to avoid this heat. Because of some last-minute cancellations, I’m able to extend my stay here in Seaview until July 10th. My next destination will be inland at Monroe, Washington. Forecast through July 9th there is mid 90’s to very high 80’s. July 10th is forecast for 77 degrees and returning to the usual more moderate temperatures. In the meantime, back at Mary’s it will be 100 degrees today and here in Seaview 68 degrees. That’s why I’m here. Happy July 4th!

Mary is dealing with her over-flowing to-do list plate which can only be handled by herself. The construction of Mary’s rental continues along…slowly. She now is hoping to rejoin me by early September.  😦

Last year I visited the lighthouse at Cape Disappointment near Ilwaco Washington. It’s part of the Cape Disappointment State Park which you can read about by clicking this Wikipedia link…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Disappointment_State_Park

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

This Google Earth view shows the area from directly above…

 

 

While the distance between the Lewis & Clark Interpretative Center and the lighthouse is only 713 feet according to the Google Earth ruler…to get to the lighthouse you have to walk a 3/4 mile up and down trail to get around Dead Man’s Cove. Here’s a closer Google Earth view of today’s subjects…

 

 

The trip begins at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center parking lot…

 

 

Along the way I got a peek-a-boo view of the Coast Guard Station that I will be visiting tomorrow…

 

 

There is no beach access to Dead Man’s Cove so one must take what they can get for views of the cove…

 

 

More remaining concrete structures from World War II Fort Canby…

 

 

After a steep uphill climb I arrive at the lighthouse. Unlike the North Head Light I went to a couple of days ago…there is no internal access to this lighthouse. The concrete road is used by Coast Guard personnel for maintenance of the lighthouse…

 

 

A silhouette behind a bright clouded sun…

 

 

Looking over the last 1/3 right side of the jetty is the mouth of the Columbia River leading inland from where Lewis and Clark came towards the Pacific Ocean…

 

 

A sign near the lighthouse shows the shipwrecks at the mouth of the Columbia River…

 

 

Looking to the north the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center can be seen sitting upon the high cliff on the right. At the shoreline in the distance is Waikiki Beach Which I’ll feature in  Blog entry soon…

 

 

To see the other 16 photos that I took, you will need to CLICK ON THE BELOW PHOTO. ONCE YOU ARRIVE AT THE PHOTO ALBUM, SIMPLY CLICK “SLIDESHOW” AND ENJOY!

 

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse Near Ilwaco, Washington

 

 

You can read all about the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse by clicking this Wikipedia link… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Disappointment_Light

I’ve been here in the Ilwaco area several times before and always enjoy this beautiful area.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE PHOTOS.

Yesterday was a sunny day at 67 degrees. Forecast for today is sunny and 68 degrees.

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows my approximate location in the State of Washington. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

 

 

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

 

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 500 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2015

Historic Bay Front Of Newport, Oregon

The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Whalers Rest RV Resort about six miles south of Newport, Oregon. I’ve been here several times before and plan to depart here later this morning.

Mary is dealing with her over-flowing to-do list plate which can only be handled by herself. I’m hoping she will be able to rejoin me sometime after July 4th.

In 2011, Mary and I spent a couple of enjoyable hours wandering the historic bay front of Newport, Oregon including the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse activated in 1871, at 38 feet high, it sits atop a small hill and is identified as the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon coast. Along the bay front are active fish/shrimping boats with associated processing plants, many restaurants and souvenir shops. In addition, numerous nautical murals on buildings and old paintings abound. All colorful, they offer numerous photographic opportunities.

Here’s a Google Earth view of the area…

 

Here are 12 photos that I took…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To see the other 42 photos I took, click the below photo and the slideshow…

Newport, Oregon

 

To read all about the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, click this link…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaquina_Bay_Light

I hope you enjoyed the photos!

Yesterday was sunny at 63 degrees. Today’s forecast is cloudy/sunny and 73 degrees. At Mary’s home today is forecast at 100 degrees and 102 tomorrow! Makes me know why I am here!

Enjoying nice weather is another joy in the life of a full-time RVer!

The red dot on the below map shows our approximate location in the State of Oregon. You may double left-click the map to make it larger…

Enjoying 65-75 degree temperatures with low humidity most of the year is a primary joy in the RVing lifestyle!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”…Albert Einstein

On October 27, 2012, I created a two-minute video titled America The Beautiful. The music America The Beautiful is by Christopher W. French. The photos, which I randomly selected, are from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia (not shown in that order)…are mine. Yup, That’s me standing in front of the Post Office in Luckenbach, Texas…Y’all!

Click this link to start the video. Make sure you have your speakers turned on and go to full screen asap.
http://youtu.be/FfZUzEB4rM8

If you would like to see my YouTube videos, click this link… http://www.youtube.com/user/JimJ1579/videos

There are more than 600 photo albums in my Picasa Web Albums File. To gain access, you simply have to click this link… https://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver

If you have not checked out my Ramblin Man’s Photos Blog, you can do so by clicking this link…http://ramblinmanphotos.wordpress.com/

For more information about my books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2015

 

DUNGENESS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Two paths lead from the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge parking lot, high on a bluff, to the five mile long spit where a lighthouse beckons. It is a working lighthouse, and a great beach hike. we took the primitive path through the woods which is rainforest in nature.

It isn’t an exaggeration to say the woods are being eaten up by rot, mosses and fungi of one sort or another.

And, we see beauty in the process.

The forest is heavy, dark with sunlight streaking through in places. You feel like you are alone in the bower of bushes and trees brushing and closing in all sides.

Then, from an overlook, you get a magnified view of  the lighthouse at the end of the spit with a day full of sun, blue water and sky.

Down onto the beach, there isn’t much to see but driftwood for miles. Huge tree roots and smooth washed branches, along with a few gulls and the never ending tidal laps.

Like kids, we played while enjoying our luck to be outside walking a sand spit rather than sitting in front of a television or worrying about the bad news it injects into your life daily.

Many of the trees have roots and we pondered where did they come from? Is this yellow cedar?

Jim drew a heart in the sand…

“It’s been a long time since I did something like that,” he said.

Our goal was this upright piece of driftwood. Who would take the time to stand up a tall heavy dead tree like that, we asked ourselves.

The upright drift wood, didn’t drift here. The tree was still attached to the ground like the surrounding stumps, a sentinel of what the area may have looked like with a forest closer to the water at one time in the distant past.

A popular pastime for some people is to stack stones into cairns, or build shelters from the driftwood.

I climbed up the grassy embankment and the lighthouse is still just a small bubble on the horizon.

And a look back from whence we came, the tall bluff. We walked about a mile on the beach.

Then returned to civilization for lunch at the golf course in beautiful Dungeness, figuring since there is a dungeness festival coming up we could find some good crab. I had the lightest, tastiest crab cakes at Stimmies, but there chowder left a lot to be desired. It is always an adventure.  From there to the Organic Farm Store for produce and home to read and relax.

Check out this sunset. It was predicted to rain, but didn’t.

 

 

 

 

 

A RAINY DAY AT FORT WORDEN STATE PARK

Fort Worden has two campgrounds and we chose the beach area. These trees were silhouetted against a cloudy sky.

It is easy to see which way the wind blows. Rain was in the forecast. We set up camp and decided to walk to the two science museums on the grounds.

On the way, we stopped at this little free library.  We just turned in bags of books at our last campground, so I had none to trade. We continued to the science museums and both were closed. They begin their winter hours after Labor Day. We got caught in the rain and had to run for the motorhome. Our wet clothes were set to dry while we had dinner.

The storm lasted about an hour and we took the opportunity to walk the beach. A distant light house beckoned. In places we had to climb over rocks to escape the incoming tide.

We talked to two women from Pullman, WA. who were gathering beach shells and glass in the surf. We peeked into their buckets and admired their pretties.  They wore simple sweatshirts during weather I found brutally cold with wind enough to knock you over.  I met a fellow from my part of Michigan who wore a simple long-sleeved shirt and remarked at how nice the weather is here. I told him I’d never leave California for Michigan despite my roots.

After we’d passed them, one woman came back and offered to share some of her beach glass with me. Wasn’t that sweet? I declined since we have jars of beach stones and glass from other beaches we’ve visited, particularly the Glass Beach in California that was once a dump.

Besides, the beach was strewn with rocks and and shells at the tide line.

Close to the lighthouse, someone spent time balancing rocks called cairns. Most make it five stones high. Some go six and seven.

I put together a seven, then the rock toppled and I couldn’t retrieve it, so I settled for a six.

The lighthouse was built in 1913, one hundred one years old. So important in their time. No visitors.

Past the lighthouse, we got up on the breakwater and walked.

Driftwood, sometimes whole trees, enough to build a house

It ages so beautifully.

We watched six fishermen with fly rods where the breakwater began to peter out.

We met an honest fisherman. He said he is going for fish and chips at a local restaurant.

Wives waiting on the beach with their blue-eyed Australian Shepherd. They said the salmon season is just starting and only a certain kind of salmon can be taken. They were unsure, but think that if it is a king salmon, they have to throw it back. They can take silvers.

We returned to the motor home just before the second storm hit. It rocked the motorhome, threatened to tear off the vents and our closed awning, and blew and rattled everything that moved along with heavy rains. I stowed our ground rug under the motorhome because the wind was folding it and moving it from its appointed spot. We have yet to check and see if we still have a rug.