One week in Nehalem State Park was not enough! We camped on a long peninsula wedged between the ocean and Nehalem Bay. There are miles of beach, miles of trail, and a boat launch. The quaint town of Manzanita was just a two mile walk up the beach.
We were very comfortable in the campground. The only amenity that we missed was a sewage dump at the campsite. No big deal…We were able to go a week before we dumped the tanks on the way out. The campground was 2/3 empty through the week, but nearly filled up over the weekend. The weather was decent, the salmon were running, and the crabs were aplenty which likely led to an influx of folks from the Portland area. It remained very pleasant the entire time.
There were two great walks we enjoyed. Walk number one was a wonderful two mile beach stroll to Manzanita. Manzanita is a peaceful little town and had everything we needed. It has a short main street that ends at the beach with just a few touristy shops, pet store, grocery store, coffee/bakery shop, a few book stores, and a few delicious restaurants…perfect! Walk number two was a one mile loop that was partially along the beach and through two camp ground loops. We did it a couple of times each day with our four legged friend. There was always something interesting to see including black tail deer.
We took a day trip to Cape Meares and the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The Cape Meares lighthouse ( http://capemeareslighthouse.org/html/history.html ) is the shortest on the Oregon coast at 38 feet high. However, it sits on a cliff 217 feet above the water clearly seen 180 degrees from the south through the west through the north. The history of the lighthouse is very interesting with its one of a kind lens being built and shipped from France then hoisted up the cliff from the water. We hiked about 5 miles around the Cape enjoying the great views, the “Octopus Tree” ( http://capemeareslighthouse.org/html/octopus_tree.html ), and hunting for mushrooms. We picked about two pounds of chanterelle mushrooms ($20-$40 worth)! At the Tillamook Cheese factory we sampled ice cream. Arleen shopped for unique fruity marinades and I made 4, 5, or 6 trips through the sample cheese line. Who’s counting?!? If there is a camera, I may not be allowed back! On the way “home” we had an amazing dinner at “Pirate’s Cove” near Garibaldi. The restaurant sits about 100 feet up a cliff overlooking the north side of Tillamook Bay. Arleen had wasabi halibut and crab and I had honey bbq sturgeon. The meals came with clam chowder which was very good but no match for Castaways in Long Beach. We had a terrific day!
See Arleen?
The following day we hiked to the top of Neahkahnie Mountain ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neahkahnie_Mountain ). We started around 400 feet elevation and crested the top at 1,600 feet after about 1 1/4 mile of steep hiking. Though this was more than our arbitrary limit of 1,000 feet of rise per mile, we did well and enjoyed ourselves. The weather was overcast and blustery, but remained dry. The view from the top was incredible. On the way down, we spent a lot of time walking off trail looking for mushrooms. We found six fresh, yummy chanterelles. Unfortunately, we didn’t find the Spanish treasure rumored to be hidden on the mountain (check out the web link above). Between the steepness and the brutal off-trail mushroom hunting, we got our butts kicked! After burning a couple of thousand calories, we figured we earned a trip to “Mo’s” in Cannon Beach. Mo’s is an Oregon coast restaurant known for its clam chowder. It is highly recommended by our Oregon friends and other “Oregonians” we’ve met recently. The Mo’s in Cannon Beach is right on the water. It has a great view and fun atmosphere. The menu is also fun and everything was reasonably priced. The verdict on the clam chowder…it was excellent! It was thick, creamy, buttery, and had bits of clam and bacon in every bite. So how we do we rate it? #2 behind Castaways in Long Beach. Both Castaways and Mo’s stand out above all of the others we’ve tried.
View to the south from the top of Neahkahnie Mountain
We also hiked a section of the Oregon Coast Trail in Oswald West State Park. Much of the route was along cliffs dropping straight down to the churning ocean. We took a snack break sitting on the edge with our feet dangling way above the water. We found about 3 pounds of “orange gold”…tasty chanterelle mushrooms! So far Arleen has cooked the shrooms with pork chops and pasta. She also made an amazing Hungarian mushroom soup. It’s the best soup I’ve ever eaten!! Finding these beauties adds a whole other realm of enjoyment to our hikes.
We caught another great sunset. There were quite a few families with young kids playing and making memories on the beach as the sun dropped below the horizon and the sky turned red. Here is Arleen flying the kite on the beach as the sun went down…
The Camp Host, Leo, told us that we should not miss a kayak trip to the little town of Wheeler for coffee and treats. The winds were consistently strong during most of our stay keeping us off of the water. Finally, the last day was bright and shiny and winds were just a moderate 10-20mph. We knew the tides could help us if we timed it right. We launched from Nehalem State Park catching the last push upstream with high tide. The wind was at our backs and we moved “downhill” with the waves. We sailed right along up the Nehalem River, but really had to concentrate to stay in control and on a straight path. We made it safely to Wheeler about 3 miles from where we launched. We pulled the kayaks up into the grass by the boat ramp and walked across the street for coffee (Arleen), tea (Shawn), and two fresh blueberry muffins. Leo was right…It was a nice paddle with a nice reward! On the way back we trolled for salmon but didn’t get any bites. It was a lot of work going “uphill” directly into the waves and wind. Even the though the tide and weak river current were in our favor, it was much harder going back!
Where are the clouds?!?
Next we head 90 miles down the coast to South Beach State Park just outside of Newport, OR.
Life is good!
You guys are going to find Newport interesting. Lots of things to see and do. In south Beach, just as you come off the bridge, there is a 50's style restaraunt that serves great burgers and milk shakes. My dad has to stop nearly every time he is down in the area, which is a lot. The waterfront is interesting and you can get Rouge beer on tap at the pizza joint near the Coast Guard station. Try to get a camp site that has trees as South Beach State Park is a bit open with not much to cut the wind.
ReplyDeleteThe bridge you will cross is the first of a series of the big bridges along the Oregon Coast designed by Conde McCullough. It was built back in 1936. You'll hit a few more as you make your way south along the coast.
A good water trip is just to the south. Can't remember the name of the creek but Hwy 101 bends inland 3-4 miles south of where you'll be camping. Just before crossing over the little bridge, take a left and there should be a drop in point about 100 yards ahead on your right. We've done it a few times and it was guided, but that was during the summer season. It's not a long paddle but you'll see all kinds of birds and water life.
#2? At least Mo's is in the same class as Castaways.