Friday, March 02, 2007

 
Day Seven of the Road Trip.

We left Kalaloch about noon on February 22nd and headed for Long Beach. Roger had a ‘general’ idea of where we were headed but, as the day got shorter we started to wonder where this RV Park was located.

The GPS indicated we had arrived long before we reached the park. All we could see was salt water marshes and steep banks on either side of the narrow road. It definitely was not a place to spend the night.

About 6:30 PM we finally stopped at a park where the ranger was just closing the gates. The ranger told us that this was the place we were looking for. Evidently the name of the RV Park had been changed to Cape Disappointment and was no longer referred to by the original name listed in the RV Guide. Our confusion was not unique. Without the help of the ranger we may have wound up in San Diego.

We found a spot in the park and settled in for the evening. It was raining so Roger did a quick hook up to the utilities and left the truck attached to the trailer.



It stopped raining… the next morning it was clear, cold and very windy. Roger unhooked the trailer and we took a walk on the beach.

Later, we paid our fees in the office and went to see the Lewis & Clark Exhibit at Fort Canby. There is a great deal more to that story than they teach you in school. The experience tends to give you a real appreciate for paved roads, warm trailers and propane stoves. Fort Canby was used during WWI and WWII to protect our coastal waters from invasion.



These steps are adjacent to the grounds around the fort. What purpose do you suppose these serve? We just had to find out. It is a pretty view from the top.

We also discovered why they call it Cape Disappointment. It seems that the current from the Columbia River emptying into the ocean causes such an erratic current that many ships have been lost in this area. Two light houses still working today serve as sentinels to warn passing ships. A north jetty and a south jetty help to protect the harbor today and make the current a little less treacherous. Over time new land has built up around the jetties apparently from the wave action. New land continues to be built as time passes.



It's not real comforting to know that our trailer was parked on one of these ‘land fills’ and that the RV Park was nearly wiped out last year when large storms hit the coast.



How do you suppose this boat happened to be up on top of the logs just feet away from where our trailer is hooked up?

On our way down the hill from Fort Canby we saw these little ones grazing by the side of the road. They didn’t seem bothered by our presence but then these photos were shot through the open window of the truck.



That afternoon we drove into the town of Long Beach so we could get Internet Service. We’ve spent most of this trip out of touch with the world, no phones, no Internet, a little television but only the local channels. Gosh, it was so nice… No telemarketers trying to sell us insurance for our credit card debt, better cell phone service, or cable television.

While in Long Beach Roger found a new boat.

And, we took a drive on the beach. Take notice of where the GPS has us located.




We then drove out to the jetty. The real size of the rocks is deceiving from the fort. And, it was not real comforting to see this sign after we climbed down from the top of the jetty.


It was a beautiful sunset...
But, it rained all night Friday night. At times it rocked and thumped the trailer so hard Roger got up to see if logs were floating by. Too bad we didn’t hook up the truck Friday night. Roger hooked up the truck Saturday morning in a downpour. It rained on us all the way to Portland.

We drove right to the RV Park in Portland. We weren’t so lucky in finding the Patio and Garden Show. Finding parking was even harder. We were both wide awake Sunday morning before daylight. I think we were anxious to be on our way home. It is great to travel but, it’s also nice to come home again. We can hardly wait for our next adventure.









Comments:
Hi there. I just found your great blog through a search for Kalaloch, where we will be staying in a cabin later this month as part of a driving tour around Olympic NP. I would love to hear any thoughts you have on suggestions for the trip, particularly on things someone from Atlanta might not think to plan for, and the best day-trips from Kalaloch. If you plan any trips to this area, I'll be glad to make some great suggestions in return!

(Rather than posing my email address on yet another public site, here's the address for a project I manage here, and you can email me from the link there if you so choose. Thanks in advance!)

http://www.hillcrest.graves.org/contacts.htm

-Kevin Hudson, East Point, Ga
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?