Oregon's Covered Bridges

Something else I learned is that there are a lot of wineries and covered bridges in Oregon. A LOT OF WINERIES. We did not take the wine tour, but we did manage to take one bridge tour near Cottage Grove. Some of the bridges are still in use, but most are not. The maps are funny, sometimes you have to be looking right in the right direction to see the bridge. One good example of this is the railroad brown bridge. It is over a creek, blocked off, falling apart, and is currently in a residential area where you would not expect a bridge to be. But, it was something we do not have here and I was not aware of.

Dinner Cruise

At the Cascade Locks on the Columbia River they have cruises on a steamship. Dinner was great, the view and commentary informative, not crowded, weather perfect! The captain even lets you run the boat after dinner if you wish. We passed the tribal fishing docks where one fisherman showed me his catch, salmon.

Father DeSmet's Mission

Those from around my hometown know who Father DeSmet was, a missionary to the Native Americans. Along the road near Coeur d'Alene Idaho we found his original church mission, now a historic site. Once again it is so large that photos do not do it justice. It is a post and beam building with some straw walls in the back. If you are ever traveling in the area near Coeur d'Alene on the interstate and see the sign, you should definately stop for a look.

Yeah for Yurts

We stayed in a Yurt in Ft. Stevens State Park in Oregon. It is their version of cabins. They are spacious and very comfortable. Included is a skylight, heater, desk, electricity, all that you need in a tent! If you ever get a chance, stay in one. You might even see local "wildlife" in the form of a 3 1/2 inch slug making its way down the side of the yurt!

Redwood State/National Park

Near Crescent City, CA is the Redwood National Park (also a CA state park). It is so difficult to take photos of the trees to show the scale as you take the drive. Here are a couple, my mom standing next to the "Big Tree", I swear that is what the sign says! This tree was saved from a man who wanted to use the base of it for a dance floor. The one with the bench in front of it is where we ate lunch.

I paid to drive through this tree which is on private property, it was so worth it, we laughed and laughed. It is called "The Tour Through Tree".

Crescent City, CA

Okay, I laughed at the Tsumani signs until I learned that Crescent City, CA actually had a devistating one in 1964 caused by the earthquake in Alaska a few hours earlier. It came ashore while all were sleeping and entered the city by way of the crescent shaped harbor and wiped out a lot of the downtown and southern part of the city. Every once in a while they still get "sneaker waves" that cause trouble to those who are on the shore when they come.

There is also a lighthouse at this location that was there during the event. The lighthouse keeper's wife woke up and saw the first wave of the four total sweep along the shore. The lighthouse is unique because the lighthouse is in the middle of the living quarters. They climbed to the top of the lighthouse for safety.

During high tide you can walk across to the lighthouse and visit the tide pools, and if you look closely you can see green anemone around the edges, mussels, and star fish.

They aren't kidding!

I could not stand it any longer, you drive down Hwy 101 in Oregon and California and you see these signs along the way. I finally stopped in a place where I could take a photo of the sign. When the alarm goes off ( and they also use the alarm to signal city council meetings in one town) you need to follow the evacuation route signs . I would also suggest when you hear the siren that you take a machete with you, you will need it to break through the vegetation to climb the hills and see where you are going!

Umqua River Lighthouse

When we arrived at this lighthouse/Coast Guard station, a tour was just beginning and the guide let me join in. Our group climbed the 65 steps to the top, and were each allowed to climb up into the prisms to take a look. It is the one lighthouse on the Oregon coast that has red lights, very beautiful. The guide described it as the Jewel of the Coast. I have to say that I am not that scared of heights but inside I was screaming at the last top leg of the climb. The steps are attached to the side of the cone and you can see three floors below. So, I took photos from the top and from the bottom of the lighthouse as well as inside the prism view.

Oregon Lighthouses

Here are most of the lighthouses we visited. Because of the rocky nature of the Oregon coastline, these are important. Most are still lit today, but you cannot go inside them. On the visits to these I learned that our coastline had been attacked near Ft. Stevens during WWII, the Japanese shot several shells into the coast but we did not return fire (a controversial decision), but they did not invade the coastline.

A Cranberry Bog

Before this trip I thought cranberries were grown in lakes, mostly because of the ads for Ocean Spray. Well, it is grown in a bog, as a flowering vine. When harvest comes, they flood the fields with about 2 feet of water and the cranberries float. The place I visited had a museum and a gift shop, both of which were interesting. Trust me, they can make anything smell like or taste like cranberries! The boots are a tool from past cranberry days to walk over the vines.