At 10:25, we arrived at the State Park under sunny skies. It took a short trail through massive old-growth western red cedars and Sitka spruce that were dripping with moss and lichen.
The falls are 319 feet if three-tiered, awe-inspiring cascade goodness. They are the tallest in the Coast Range and perhaps the tallest in the state west of the Willamette River. It was a 1/2 mile trail to the falls and back.
Unfortunately, when we returned to the truck, the other vehicle in the parking lot had been broken into and various items stolen. Their car was there when we arrived and we passed them on the trail leaving as we were going in. It was a very secluded location.
Our next stop was the Tillamook Air Museum, which is housed in one of the few remaining World War ll blimp hangars in the nation....the largest wooden structures in the nation!
The museum features one of the countries top private collections of more than 40 World War ll aircraft. The planes are housed in one of the world's largest clear span wooden buildings.
The massive hangar is 1,072 feet long, 296 feet wide and 192 feet high (over 15 stories). It covers over 7 acres (you could play 6 football games at once), and the doors are 120 feet high.
In this pic, Marcel is standing in the doorway with s safety cone on his head!
At 12:30, we left the Museum and made our way to the Blue Heron French Cheese Company. We were under the mistaken impression that it was a cheese factory, but turned out to be a large commercial venture.
"We are an Oregon-based company celebrating over 30 years in business in the Pacific Northwest. There is something here for the entire family. Sample our famous Blue Heron Brie, try our gourmet foods, taste Oregon's finest wines or wander through our unique gift store. We also have a wonderful petting farm for the kids to visit. If you are looking for a fantastic place to eat lunch, try our Blue Heron Deli with fresh baked bread and homemade soups and salads. So take a day off with family and friends and spend it in the country with us."It was interesting to sample items, but not what we were looking for.
So, it was off to the Tillamook Cheese factory, just down the road.
On our arrival, although we found a parking space right away, the place was crazy packed and noisy!
We'll try again first thing tomorrow morning.
Decided to leave and go for lunch at the seafood place across the highway. Turned out that they were not taking any orders for at least 20 minutes in order to catch up!
The next idea was to drive the "Three Capes Scenic Loop", a 40 mile Scenic Byway running along the coast, passing 3 Capes.
Once we arrived in Netarts, we came across "The Schooner", a waterfront restaurant and decided to stop for lunch. I had Clam Chowder and Marcel enjoyed a healthy serving of Fish & Chips.
Another change of plans - one has to be flexible, but by the time we finished lunch , it was 3:00, which was too late to drive the "Loop". The nearest Lighthouse is at Cape Meares, so we headed there.
At 3:20, we arrived at Cape Meares State Park.
Oregon's shortest lighthouse stands 38 feet atop Cape Meares and 217 feet above the ocean.
The lamp was first lit January 1, 1890 and the beam was visible to shops decks 15 feet above the sea and more than 21 miles away.
In 1963, the stubby, stalwart lighthouse was decommissioned.
There was a sign for the "Octopus Tree" that we has to check out. Yet another short hike led to this unusually large Sitka Spruce tree aptly named for its unique shape.
The forces that shaped this unique Sitka Spruce have been debated for many years. Whether natural events or Native Americans were the cause remains a mystery. The tree measures more than 46 feet in circumference and has no central trunk. Instead, limbs extend horizontally from the base as much as 16 feet before turning upward. It is 105 feet tall and is estimated to be 250 - 300 years old.
Awesome!
So ended our day.....
I am enjoying reading about your trip - it is giving me ideas for our next trip west! Enjoy and safe travels.
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