Tag Archives: Travel

Photo Project: 50 States

Cruising The Oregon Coast (In Smoke & Fog)

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Barview Jetty Park near Rockaway Beach, Oregon

When we left Cannon Beach we headed down the coast, hoping to catch some views of the Pacific Ocean scenery before turning east toward McMinnville, a town in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine region.  We didn’t get many long-distance views, but we did manage to see some interesting things along the way, including the ferocious prehistoric creature I posted about previously. 🙂

Barview Jetty Park near Rockaway Beach, Oregon
Rock formation known as “The Three Graces” along US-101/Oregon Coast Highway near Garibaldi, Oregon

What looks like fog in these photos is a combination of actual fog and smoke from the wildfires farther inland and some drifting north from northern California.  Thanks to the magic of white balance adjustment, these look mostly like fog, while the original files have more of an orangey-brown cast to them.

Views of the Port of Garibaldi and Garibaldi Marina in Garibaldi, Oregon
Views of the Port of Garibaldi and Garibaldi Marina in Garibaldi, Oregon
Views of the Port of Garibaldi and Garibaldi Marina in Garibaldi, Oregon
Views of the Port of Garibaldi and Garibaldi Marina in Garibaldi, Oregon
Views of the Port of Garibaldi and Garibaldi Marina in Garibaldi, Oregon

We spent a bit of time exploring the marina in Garibaldi, a small town of 800~ on Tillamook Bay along US 101. The marina provided us with some visual stimulation, and the addition of the smoke/fog allowed for some interesting photographs.  Garibaldi is home to a scenic railway – which was not operating – a maritime history museum, also closed and a US Coast Guard station.  It might make for a good destination on a return trip, as there appear to be a number of quaint looking inns nearby!

Cape Mears Lighthouse on Cape Mears, Oregon
Foggy views from Cape Mears, Oregon

We had hoped to visit the Tillamook Creamery, but it had closed just prior to our arrival due to a combination of the virus and the heavy smoke.  So we moved on to Cape Lookout (home of the dinosaur) and Cape Mears to check out the lighthouse before making our way to McMinnville.

Tillamook Cheese Visitor Center (closed) in Tillamook, Oregon

 

Photo Project: 50 States

Haystack Rock and Cannon Beach, Oregon

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Foggy & smoky morning at Cannon Beach, Oregon

Now that winter has decided to arrive and the temperature has turned colder, I’m starting to get back to the photos from our Northwest road trip.  I’ve been shooting more than I’ve been processing, so I’m just a little behind but will eventually get caught up!

Haystack Rock at sunset over the Pacific Ocean from Cannon Beach, Oregon

Kathy & I spent two nights in Cannon Beach, Oregon specifically to see the sea stacks along the coast.  Probably the most famous stack is Haystack Rock, which sits just off the coast and literally in front of “downtown” Cannon Beach.

The size and scale of Haystack is a hard to capture in a photograph, but I did include some people in a few of my shots for scale.

Unidentified Sea Stacks off the coast in Cannon Beach

Unfortunately, despite being there for two nights and nearly 48 hours, the smoke got so thick that when combined with the usual coastal fog, we only got views of the rock formations the very first night and the following morning.  After that I “knew it was out there somewhere” but had to be satisfied with the photos I got.

Two Photos Are Better Than One.  (Didn’t have the guts to tell him that the mask works best on the front of your head. )
Photography

Take A Bow

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“Take A Bow”

I’ve always had a thing for boat bows, especially reflections of bows in the water.  Shelter Cove Marina is of course full of boat bows.  Other boat parts, too!  Here are a few from our evening there that I found notable.

“Open Wide” (When I saw this I imagined the big boat with an open mouth getting ready to swallow the little boat. Weird.)
Evening light at Shelter Cove Marina, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Evening light at Shelter Cove Marina, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Evening light at Shelter Cove Marina, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Roadside Finds

Not That Stonehenge

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Stonehenge replica serving as a war memorial along SR-14 near Maryhill, Washington

One of the stops on our drive along the Columbia River from eastern Washington was Stonehenge.  No, not the one in England, but the one in Washington. 😉

Stonehenge replica serving as a war memorial along SR-14 near Maryhill, Washington

The Washington Stonehenge is a replica of England’s Stonehenge located in Maryhill, Washington. It was commissioned in the early 20th century by the wealthy entrepreneur Sam Hill, and dedicated on 4 July 1918 as a memorial to the people who had died in World War I.  The memorial is constructed of concrete, and construction was commenced in 1918 and completed in 1929.

Stonehenge replica serving as a war memorial along SR-14 near Maryhill, Washington
Stonehenge replica serving as a war memorial along SR-14 near Maryhill, Washington

The dedication plaque on this Washington Stonehenge is inscribed:

“In memory of the soldiers and sailors of Klickitat County who gave their lives in defense of their country. This monument is erected in the hope that others inspired by the example of their valor and their heroism may share in that love of liberty and burn with that fire of patriotism which death can alone quench.”

Vineyards in the Columbia River Valley from Stonehenge along SR-14 near Maryhill, Washington
The Columbia River Valley from Stonehenge along SR-14 near Maryhill, Washington. Mount Hood (Oregon) is in the distance.