September 16, Day 30
Today was a short drive day, only about 100 miles. We moved from one Oregon State Park to another. Tonight, we are dry camping (no electricity or water) at Lookout Cape State Park which is right on the Pacific. Our campsite is about 100 yards from the ocean edge. We made two stops on the way. The first was at a Pendelton outlet store in Seaside. I found a nice shirt. The second stop was at the Tillamock cheese factory. It is a large facility, but the tour is no where as good as the one they provide at Fair Oaks Farm back in Indiana; however, the ice cream is just as good. Just north of Tillamock, Will ran out of gas across the street from a gas station. She had a small amount in a gas can which got her started again so she could pull into the station. After getting set-up at the park, we took a long walk on the beach. While the views up and down the coast are beautiful, they are shrouded in mist. No pictures at this stop! I would love to see a Pacific sunset, but I am afraid it will be blocked by clouds this evening.
September 17, Day 31
Another short driving day and another night camping on the Pacific Coast beach. Tonight we are at the Tillicum Beach Campground which is a Forest Service site, so with the senior passport the fees are more to my liking. On the way down the coast, we stopped at one roadside viewing station to look for whales, but did not see any. I thought I saw a sea lion, but I think my eyes were playing tricks on me. We also toured the Yaquina Bay Light House. This is the tallest lighthouse on the Oregon coast and sits on a rocky spit of land that extends a mile into the ocean. There is also a very informative Interpretive Center that focuses on marine biology and the building of the lighthouse. I did get a chance to climb to the top of the lighthouse - 110 steps! The area was teaming with kelp flies. Hours after leaving the area, I am still trying to rid my rig of them.
