May 12 - Cape Lookout, OR to Pacific Beach, WA

May 12 - Cape Lookout, OR to Pacific Beach, WA

You know those days that start out fabulous and end up sort of awful? Today was one of those as we mentally and physically limped into Pacific Beach State Park in WA. Drove too long, weather was probably totally typical for the Northwest Coast but cold rain isn't fun and we absolutely could not find the military family camp we had planned on staying in. Other than that, the scenery in upper OR and lower WA is spectacular.

Early morning walk in fog and clouds in Cape Lookout started the day. One of the best parts of our truck campers is that we don't have to have power and water constantly as do so many of the big As and Cs. It leaves you the freedom to camp in the national forests or also in the state parks with no need for the commercial campgrounds. We did about two miles in the sand but it was hard sand and not the type that exhausts you.

Back on Pacific Coast route 101 north after leaving Cape Lookout on the Netarts Bay Road. We were headed to Oceanside to see a different sea stack formation but after about ten miles, came to an abrupt stop with a road closure sign. Locals said it was an overnight land slide into the road. Skipped the Tillamook Cheese Factory as we still have some good old Vermont Cabot Cheese with us.

Hug Point State Recreational Area is right on 101 and is everything you ever think a beach on the northern stretch of the US Pacific coast should look like. Lots of warning signs leading down the steep stairs/rocks to get to the beach. We had the beach, caves, waterfalls, lichen, huge spruce trees all to ourselves.

Joe likes his man cave. There were several of these and all I could think of were the old N.C. Wyeth drawings of pirate caves.

We finally found a car wash that we thought was tall enough to take that very tall Chalet. Alas the AC would have hit but we got all of the truck and most of the nose of the camper washed. It was long overdue - and of course, we then drove into rain. In Astoria, Joe stopped at a Verizon store and got me a hotspot for a Mother's Day present. I think he finally got tired of my looking for an available wifi spot for me. It's awesome!

Looks like there may be some hope in places for diesel to cost less than gas!

The Nemah area along 101 is particularly spectacular as most of it is a wild life sanctuary and not logged. One of the disappointments in Oregon is the clear cuts of forests and that they aren't "cleaned up". They are eventually replanted so that is a plus but they sure are ugly in the meantime. Of course it is employment, use of a natural resource and building material - but still really ugly.

The family military camp was supposed to be in Copalis Beach but if it was, it was invisible. Too late, too tired to look further we just stopped at our first WA state park and will sleep tonight with the roar of the surf a few hundred yards away. Again, please don't let this be the night the tsunami comes in.