On the Road - Day 11

On the road again, coastal 101 North

Awoke to birdsong. Did a few errands before leaving Newport - showers, laundry, Wal-Mart photo pick-up, Safeway, and viewing the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. (We noticed the Safeway was laid out backwards from our home Safeway - produce to left, deli & bakery to the right. HIGHLIGHT- we danced in the wide and empty frozen food isle. I melted, but we left before the vegetables were thawed. Vance said it reminded him of the time we danced to a steel drum band on the sidewalk in Waikiki.)










Picture on left: Pat ready for cold wind on way to seeing the Yaquina Head lighthouse, right.

Pat bought postcards to share with everyone. Paused in Depoe for a nap, so we were too late to see the Lincoln City Kite Fest. The traffic jam Pat feared did not materialize. Fun things along the way North: Shuckers - the Oyster Bar, "D River - the world's shortest". "45th Parallel, half-way between the Equator and the North Pole", then we saw the Midway Cheese Dairy. At a Wayside Lookout (not a rest area, as no restrooms) the information plaque stated that the "Northern area ahead is the Heart of Oregon's Dairy Land with rolling farm land and forested foothills".

Vance spent the day driving into strong winds. He spoke with some bikers (Harley types, not Schwinn) who said they also were having a difficult time, the wind was blowing them all over the road as well. In this picture, left, two of the three bikers are standing behind him. Further along the hills had bare areas that were clear-cut (ugly), also areas of short new growth from most recent clear-cut, older growth sections, and tall untouched forest sections. Like crop rotation big scale. Back into the farmland, herds of cows are unlike what I am used to. In Maine, for instance, a herd will all be black beef cows, or all belted Galloways, or all one type of dairy cow. Here in coastal Oregon each herd seems to be a variety of kinds and colors.

Haven't seen a Dutch Brothers Coffee shop for a while, instead there's Black Tail Coffee and Yellow Dog Espresso shops. Arrived at Pleasant Valley RV Park - just South of Tillamook where we will go tomorrow for a tour of the cheese factory. Took a short nature hike which included listening to a babbling brook and discovering a new plant with tiny red berries. Sat on a camp chair in the fading sun, reading the last of the Twilight series (thank you, Val). Made hamburger patties with onion, garlic and mushrooms, steamed fresh baby spinach, and a salad of blueberries, bananas and cherries. Contentment!

Ended at Pleasant Valley RV Park, Tillamook, OR
Odometer 59,265.4 (68.2) Total: 1122.6