We crossed into Oregon via the Astoria Bridge over the Columbia River, and the border between Washington and Oregon. The bridge opened in 1966, and was the longest continuous truss bridge in the world.
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This is Lewis and Clark country, as you might imagine from “the Columbia River.” This is where the Expedition ended, but they spent several years exploring the area. There are memorials, parks, and historical monuments everywhere. History buffs we, it was fun exploring this part of the Lewis and Clark Trail after doing the same in Idaho, etc.
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Coastal Oregon, as always, was green and beautiful. It was a sunny day, total bonus.
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For some reason Andy got a hankering for seafood. Maybe the endless billboards for oysters and fried clams? We had lunch in Long Beach eating same, and as we continued down 101 we passed through Manhattan Beach, Oceanside, and Newport Beach. Hmmm…
We reached the town of Tillamook. You may recognize the name. And, amazingly, there is a visitors’ center at the Creamery! Truly a destination.
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Next day we continued down the coast, the amazing, quintessential Oregon coastline. Driftwood beaches, green landscape. For me, this was less about awesome new scenery and sights, but more like reconnecting with an old friend and all the pleasure that brings. Here were the funky towns, slick resorts, and hidden coves I remember from over the years.
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I had a flashback to a place we came to when I was a kid. Mom called it Mill Crick. It was totally isolated, right on the beach in a cove where a creek emptied into the sea. It wasn’t marked, but we found it again on each Oregon camping trip.
I studied the map and am pretty sure I found it once again. It is now an official campground called . But on closer inspection, Mill Creek empties into the sea right there. Shhh… Looks like this…
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Our tourist visit today was the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Very cool. Andy loves aquariums, and I made sure we saw all the educational exhibits before the Otter exhibit…
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