South Dakota Air and Space Museum & Badlands National Park

Posted on March 28, 2022 by admin

South Dakota Air and Space Museum

The South Dakota Air and Space Museum sits just outside Ellsworth Air Force Base.

When I was in grade school during the Cuban missile crisis, our school practiced air-raid drills. When we heard the alarm go off, we were to duck under our desks. One day the alarm went off and our teacher told us to duck under our desks, but it was a fire alarm–not an air-raid. It was just a practice drill, but the teacher eventually realized her mistake and led us all outside to “safety”.

As a child, I was aware of the cold war after the Cuban missile crisis. I watched episodes of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E” which was a fictional TV series about two spies who somehow always thwarted the bad guys from taking over the world. I read stories about the Iron Curtain and escapes from East Berlin. What I was not aware of, was what our government was doing to defend us.

During the Cold War, Ellsworth Air Force Base was a crucial part of our country’s readiness and defense force. It was the home of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles like the Titan I and the Minuteman missiles, and and arsenal of bombers such as the B-29.

Today visitors can tour a missile silo that was used to train maintenance personnel, but you must reserve well ahead of your visit since only 6 people are allowed at one time on a tour and it is booked far in advance. For that reason, we didn’t get to go on that tour. The missile sites are now preserved as the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

However, we enjoyed an extensive time visiting inside and outside the South Dakota Air and Space Museum which included a Titan I missile.

The Titan I missiles took 15 minutes to fully deploy because they couldn’t be fueled up until right before launch. This was not speedy enough for countering a nuclear attack. So therefore, they were replaced three years later with Titan II and the more reliable Minuteman missiles. Each silo contained three missiles.

Besides intercontinental ballistic missiles, the United States also had bombers (such as the B-29 Superfortress) ready to deploy in case of attack. Later these huge planes were used for aerial tankers and weather reconnaissance until they were retired.

B-52 Stratotanker and B-52 Stratofortress (in background)

Inside the museum are four large galleries of artifacts of military and civilian aerospace history of the last century. My favorite display was about Nellie Zabel Wilhite, South Dakota’s first female pilot. She was also the first deaf person to earn her pilot’s license. The museum houses the wing and tires from her first airplane along with a photo of her in front of her plane in 1934. Despite some harrowing flights and at one time being a barnstormer, she lived to age 98. I’m always inspired by people who make history despite their handicaps.

Wings and tires from Nellie Zabel Wilhite’s plane

The museum is open year round (although the indoor galleries are closed during January and February) and the tours of Ellsworth AFB and the Missile Silo are offered from mid-May through mid-September. Admission to the museum is free, but there is a small charge for the bus tours to the Missile Silo.

Badlands National Park

Not many miles from the Black Hills, the prairie stretches for miles until unexpectedly you come across Badlands National Park. Recently designated a national park in 1978, the nearly 250,000 acres of geologic formations, fossil beds and wildlife made this a place we had to visit. It reminded me somewhat of the Painted Desert in northern Arizona with its colorful rock layers. My favorite view was this scenic overlook where you can see for miles.

Down in the canyons are trees and grasslands.

In the Badlands many fossils of ancient mammals have been found which are probably related to our present-day bison and bighorn sheep.

We started out looking out over the canyons, but soon we were driving in among the rock formations.

In this photo below, you can see a dry river bed. Two forces made these formations, deposition and erosion. Layers of sediment formed the rock layers which were deposited by a number of natural forces which range from shallow inland seas to rivers to wind. Then the Cheyenne and White rivers carved their way through the landscape. If the rocks erode at the rate of one inch per year as estimated, what we see today may be quite different the next time we visit!

It reminds me of Psalm 24: 1-2.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the streams and the rivers.” Amplified Bible

Our national parks are a treasure of unique and beautiful places. I am thankful for those who had foresight to set aside these places for generations of people to enjoy.

South Dakota Sights

Posted on March 8, 2022 by admin

Whenever I think of South Dakota, I think of a flat wide expanse of endless prairie, a picture I got in my mind from reading the Little House books. But when we arrived in South Dakota we found beautiful forested mountains with pretty green meadows spaced in between the hills. Western South Dakota in the Black Hills region is a region of surprising beauty. Tucked away in these hills is the iconic Mount Rushmore. (See my blog on Mount Rushmore)

In the Black Hills region are other interesting places to explore. One of the places I wanted to see was the Crazy Horse Memorial. This is a privately-owned memorial to Crazy Horse, a leader of the Lakota Sioux Indians. The sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, who dedicated his life to carving this memorial, is now deceased and his descendants have taken on the project.

I had mixed feelings about Crazy Horse Monument. For one thing, after 71 years, it is far from being completed. In contrast, Mount Rushmore was finished in only 14 years. Some reasons for the delay are said to be the weather, tourists, the size of the project and lack of funds. Critics say it has become a money making project for enriching the sculptor’s family. I can’t say for sure that is true, but I was disappointed. It does seem like the 40,000 square foot Visitor’s Center has taken over the central focus instead of the rock carving.

Below is a prototype carving of what the mountain will look like when finished. It’s sad to think I might never see it completed in my lifetime.

The outline of the horse’s head on the mountain yet to be carved.

We wandered around the huge visitor center for nearly an hour. It seemed like we were rushing through it just to be able to see it all. The buildings also house The Indian Museum of North America which houses a large collection of art and artifacts showing the histories and cultures of over 300 native nations. One impressive exhibit was this Navajo Indian rug.

Other items in the museum showcase the artist’s talent such as this carving of Henry Standing Bear, a cousin of Crazy Horse. He was the one who found the artist Korczak Ziolkowski for the Crazy Horse project.

Many Indian handcrafted items were on display. This beautifully crafted pine quill basket caught my attention.

Having taken a pottery class, I’m always fascinated by handmade pottery. These look like they were from a wood-fired kiln or pit.

Other exhibits were this highly decorated horse outfit and the hand-crafted canoe pictured below.

It was irresistible to get a photo of a buffalo up close like this. It was easy to see why the Indians liked the buffalo hides for keeping them warm in the cold winters.

The artist Korczak Ziolkowski, and his wife had 10 children. They must have been a musical family as there were many musical instruments from their home on display in the museum.

We stopped to eat dinner in the nearby town of Custer where a painted buffalo caught my eye. Since it was late in the year, many places were already closed for the winter. We found a Pizza Hut and I ordered chicken wings. They were really good!

Another day we drove to Wind Cave National Park and took a tour into the cave. The cave is so named because as the air pressure changes on the outside, the air blows in or out of the cave to maintain equal pressure. Two brothers discovered the cave when they heard wind blowing out of a hole in the ground. When one leaned in to get a better look, his hat blew off his head.

Wind Cave is the second longest and most complex cave in the world. Only a small part has been explored. It is home to “boxwork”, a unique formation found only in this cave.

One of the stories our guide told us about was in the early history of the cave tours, there was a guide that led tourists down into the cave with a lantern. If he saw a passage that he wanted to explore, he would leave his guests in the dark and go exploring, sometimes leaving them there in the dark for hours before returning. I can’t imagine being left in pitch dark for hours not knowing for sure if the guide would ever return!

Above ground we saw prairie dogs, bison and park-like prairie grasslands and hillsides with forests. I pondered if this would be a nice place to live someday–but then I thought about the cold winters. Hm. Probably not.

Mount Rushmore

Posted on October 26, 2021 by admin

Rapid City, SD

September, 2021

One of my bucket list items was to see Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The Mount Rushmore National Park is near Rapid City, South Dakota. There are so many things to see in this area, I wished we had spent two weeks there instead of just one. We did our best to see as many as possible.

The day we chose to go see Mount Rushmore was a beautiful day with clear blue skies.

Entrance to Mount Rushmore is free. However, there is a charge for parking. For seniors, it was $5. We parked in the parking garage and made our way to the entrance and the Avenue of flags which displays the flags from all 50 states. We found our state flag of Texas.

Underneath each flag is a plaque with the date the state entered the union and the rank in order of the states joining the union.

At the amphitheater, I took a few more photos of these huge carvings. It was an amazing feat of architecture, sculpture and engineering that took years to complete. It is an iconic American Monument that needs to be preserved.

It wasn’t just a matter of carving a face in the mountain. The sculptor had to choose the best angle so the images would catch the light and cast shadows to show off the carvings. There were “catch light” rocks that made the eyes look real. The rock had to be the right hardness. It took a lot of skill and knowledge to carve this.

I walked down the path to the artist’s studio where the trees nicely frame the monument.

As we drove away from the park we got one more view of George Washington as we rounded a corner.

We went to the evening program. The Ranger told his story about what happened 20 years prior on September 11, 2001, when our country was under attack. The National Parks were closed and then put under high alert for any suspicious activity.

This Ranger related to us that while he was sitting on top of the head of George Washington at night all alone on September 11, looking for planes or anything that looked suspicious, he wrote a script of what he was going to say in his program the following evening. That was the program we got to hear the night after the 20 year anniversary of 9/11.

He told how each of the four Presidents had faced great adversity in trying circumstances that tested them and made them into the great leaders they became. He shared his own story of adversity. He then related those times to the challenges that faced our nation after the attack. Our leaders and our nation overcame adversity and went on to become the most powerful nation on earth. It was very inspiring to hear.

Rushmore at night before lit up and Avenue of flags of 50 states.

Avenue of flags and Mount Rushmore lit up at night

Veterans lower flag at end of evening program.

White Sulphur Springs, Montana

Posted on October 14, 2021 by admin

September, 2021

The little town of White Sulphur Springs is located in the western half of Montana about midway from north to south. To get there from Choteau, Montana, we went through Great Falls and then south on Highway 87 through the Little Belt Mountains and Lewis and Clark National Forest. It is some of the prettiest scenery, going over Kings Hill Pass of 7400 feet, and past quaint little towns tucked in among the forests.

On the edge of White Sulphur Springs is an RV park with a view of the Big Belt Mountains to the west. The smoke from fires in the west made beautiful sunsets in the evenings.

View from campground at White Sulphur Springs, Montana

We were familiar with this quiet little town, having spent some time here last year. There are plenty of day trip destinations from there. One place I really wanted to see this year was the “Top of the World Drive” on Highway 212 going from Yellowstone National Park to Red Lodge, Montana.

To get to this highway, you must take Highway 89 to Yellowstone National Park, across the border in Wyoming. We ate a picnic lunch just inside the north entrance of Yellowstone NP. Then we followed the road to Mammoth Hot Springs and on to Tower-Roosevelt.

Along the way, I stopped to get a photo of a waterfall and some other scenery. Due to the smoke from the fires in the west, it was very hazy.

As we traveled through Yellowstone NP, at one point we had to stop to let some buffalo cross the road. Seeing them up close made us realize how huge these beasts are in size.

Smoke and haze along creek and mountains in Yellowstone NP

Once you leave Yellowstone NP, the road quickly ascends on its way to Beartooth Pass. This pass climbs to nearly 11,000 feet in elevation giving views of alpine lakes and epic views.

A mountain meadow and lake along Beartooth Highway.

Looking back at switchbacks on road to Beartooth Pass

Views of glacial lakes and steep canyons along Beartooth Highway

We came across some construction work on the road that had us going along a steep cliff on a temporary roadway. It must take constant work to keep this road in good condition.

Road construction along Beartooth Highway.

I remember traveling this route when I was a kid on one of our family vacations to Indiana. My dad stopped along the road at one point so my sister and I could play in the snow and make snowballs. We never got to play in snow where we lived in the Arizona. That was quite a treat for us in August. (However, this year in 2021, we saw very little snow.)

That night our family stayed in Red Lodge, Montana. We ate dinner at a café that served all kinds of wild game dishes. I wasn’t brave enough to try any back then. After dinner, we went back to our cabin where we fell asleep to the sound of a gurgling creek out back of the cabin.

On our day trip there, I found the place where we stayed and got a photo. The place was in bad shape, but it looks like someone may be fixing up some of the units.

The cabins we stayed in many years ago when I was a kid are now in disrepair.

Possibly the location of the cafe where we ate many years ago in Red Lodge, Montana. It is now a pizza place.

The town of Red Lodge is now a tourist trap with lots of shops and eateries. It also has quite a few luxurious houses surrounding it. It is still a cute and quaint little town, however, and a fun place to visit.

Old Coca Cola sign shows evidence of the past in Red Lodge, Montana

We ate BBQ here for lunch in Red Lodge, Montana.

On our way home, I spotted this sight while going through one of the small towns in Montana. I couldn’t resist stopping and getting some photos of the evening sun on this grain elevator. It made a nice ending to our day.

Montana

Posted on September 27, 2021 by admin

August, 2021

From St. Mary on the east side of Glacier National Park, we only had a hundred miles to our next stop. We drove several miles through Blackfeet Indian Reservation with beautiful scenery of mountains, grasslands and rolling hills.

Scenery after leaving St. Mary, Montana.

Leaving the reservation we drove parallel to the beautiful Rocky Mountains before arriving at Choteau, Montana, a little farming town.

We took a day trip to Great Falls, MT. We ate at a Mongolian BBQ restaurant that we’d eaten at a year ago. Last year Ray’s knee was giving him so much trouble that he couldn’t get out and walk much. He missed seeing Giant Springs State Park, so we drove there to re-visit it.

Giant Springs State Park where the water bubbles up in the pond area above.

The water from the spring originates in mountains over 100 miles away and flows underground till it bubbles up here. The water is so clear, that you can see the rocks and plants on the bottom.

Giant Springs State Park where the water from the spring forms the Roe River, the shortest river in the world.

Five waterfalls are within a 10 mile segment of the Missouri River. Having seen three of the five waterfalls in Great Falls last year, Great Falls (which the city was named after) was on our list of sights to see . It is outside the city several miles away. We drove through miles of wheat fields on terrible roads to get there, but it was worth it.

Once there, we walked across a suspension bridge to an island below the dam where there was a grassy park. The river flows around the island.

Warning sign on island below Great Falls Dam

A trail led up a hill that gave us a perfect view of the dam and the powerhouse.

Notice that the dam is spilling water through all the gates. Montana has a lot of water!

From the lookout at the end of the trail, we could see down river from the dam and powerhouse.

The evenings in Choteau, Montana, displayed some beautiful sunsets.

Our next destination awaited, so after a few days, we were off to a new location.

Glacier National Park

Posted on September 17, 2021 by admin

August, 2021

Glacier NP is one of those “can’t miss” places to see. It was one of our main destinations this year. Little did we know that when we started planning our itinerary back in February of 2021, that campgrounds near the park would already be filled up til mid-August. That meant that we needed to kill some time before we could get to Glacier National Park.

We decided to spend June and July and the first part of August seeing parts of Oregon and Washington, and I’m so glad we did. We had fun, cool weather (for the most part) and we got to see some beautiful sights.

Now, you can’t just drive into Glacier NP anymore. You have to have a Park pass (we had a Senior National Parks Pass) PLUS you need a ticket for Going to the Sun Road. That ticket is good for 7 days, but you have to go online ahead of time to reserve your time. This limits the number of people who can enter the park on any given day. Since there is only one road going through the park, it gets a lot of traffic.

The day we finally got to visit Glacier NP was a rainy day. Though the rain kept some people away, it was still hard to find a parking spot at the scenic turn-outs. So we just drove.

Up, up the mountain we drove, on curvy, windy, roads with only a short rock wall separating us from the edge of the cliff and valley below. Ray was driving, and I took photos out the window. It made me nervous to look straight down. Ray was in the driver’s seat so he wasn’t scared. Later, when I was driving up the same road and Ray was in the passenger seat, he said he felt a little scared too.

The Road to the Sun in Glacier NP is not for anyone afraid of heights!

The road is very narrow, and at times it seemed like we would scrape the other cars as they passed by. We finally found a turnout where I could get some photos of the valley.

Going to the Sun Road winds through the valley of Glacier NP along McDonald Creek.

Along the way, we saw some waterfalls with a boulder that looked like it could roll right down.

Waterfall on the Going to the Sun Road, Glacier NP.

I was really disappointed that there were no glaciers to see. We saw what looked like patches of snow. I wouldn’t really classify them as glaciers. The valleys were carved by glaciers years ago so the name is still appropriate.

Some small patches of snow from glaciers are seen here.

As we climbed higher and higher in elevation, the clouds settled down over the top of the mountains and it got foggy and misty. The highest point was Logan Pass where Logan Visitor Center is located. The parking lot was full, so we drove a short ways and stopped at a turnout at Lunch Creek where we ate our picnic lunch.

From there we could see another waterfall and the remains of a glacier.

We got there just in time before the mist enveloped us. We decided to turn around and go back the way we came instead of driving through the entire park that day. It was a good choice. By the time we drove back through the valley, we were able to find parking at some of the viewpoints that had previously been too packed to stop.

Colorful rocks cover the bottom and line the sides of McDonald Creek.

My grandfather’s name was Lake Macdonald, so of course I wanted to see Lake McDonald. (spelled differently). The rocks on the bottom of the lake and on the shore are a beautiful array of colors.

Colorful rocks on the shore of Lake McDonald

We visited the park a total of three different days. The weather never did get sunny. One of those days I hiked to McDonald Falls.

As we drove upstream alongside McDonald Creek, we found another waterfall and interesting views.

Blue-green waters of the melted glaciers at McDonald Creek

On our third day in Glacier NP, we drove completely through the park, barely stopping except to eat our lunch. At Logan Pass, the road winds down to the small town of St. Mary.

We drove from one end of the park to the other, and then drove around the outside of the park on the south side back to where we started. It was also a beautiful drive, but long.

Coming down the other side of Logan Pass

The other side of Logan Pass is much different in that it suffered damage from recent forest fires that changed the look of the landscape. There is a lake on that side too–St. Mary Lake which is about 1500′ higher in elevation than Lake McDonald.

Fire damage and St. Mary Lake in background.

Even with the recent rains, the smoke from fires in the western states came back quickly to make a haze over the mountains. We had planned to stay a few days in St. Mary, but due to the smoke, we decided to leave early. Our pass for Going to the Sun Road had expired, and we were ready to move on.

Crescent Bar

Posted on September 14, 2021 by admin

Quincy, Washington

August, 2021

As we were making our way across Washington, we stopped for a couple of nights in Silver Creek, and then went on to on to Crescent Bar which is outside Quincy, Washington. From Silver Creek to Quincy was 213 miles–a longer drive than usual for us, as we try to keep it to 3 hours or less.

View from Paradise RV Campground in Silver Creek, WA.

From Silver Creek, we drove Highway 12 through the most beautiful country. High mountains lined either side as we drove through thickly wooded forest with an occasional small town. The primary industry is lumber. We passed some sawmills with stacks of 2×4’s and other sizes of lumber. We were very near Mt. Rainer, but we couldn’t see it because of the mountains that blocked our view.

As we went further east, the terrain became dryer and the land changed to hay farms, dairies, apple orchards and Christmas tree farms all watered by irrigation. Our campground was on a cliff overlooking the Columbia River. The Columbia river makes a huge bend in the shape of a crescent. It is probably a mile or more across. There were mountains on the other side that made a beautiful background for sunsets. It was, however, very smokey when we got there. But later, a windy day and some rain cleared the sky.

Crescent Bar on the Columbia River

Japanese Peace Garden, Moses Lake, WA

We took a drive to Moses Lake, a town about 40 miles away, to see the Japanese Peace Garden. I couldn’t find any information about its history, who created it or why. It would have been a nice quiet place to enjoy if it hadn’t been so hot. We walked through quickly and got back into the car to cool off.

The brook winds through the Peace Garden

Another side trip we took while in Quincy, Washington, was a trip to Grand Coulee Dam about 75 miles away. The drive there was along a canyon with the Grand Coulee lake beside the road.

One of the scenic spots along the way was Dry Falls Visitor Center. The Visitor Center was closed, but the view of the dry falls was worth taking a photo. This area was once a huge waterfall when water broke through a glacial ice dam. The lake behind the dam was approximately the volume of Lake Ontario. The waterfall would have been 5 times the width of Niagara Falls and twice the height. Today, the falls are dry, hence the name.

Grand Coulee Dam, Washington

We got to Grand Coulee Dam just before sunset. After dark, there is a laser light show that tells the story of the dam and the surrounding area.

After dark, the spillway gates open and start spilling water until all the gates are completely spilling, creating a backdrop for the light show. Here they are before they start to spill.

I was unable to capture photos of the light show. I got some short videos, but they really don’t do it justice. Even though we arrived home late that night after the light show, it was an interesting side trip worth the time.

Washington Lighthouses

Posted on August 28, 2021 by admin

July 29, 2021

We drove across the famous Astoria- Megler Bridge in Astoria, Oregon. The bridge is a feat of engineering and quite impressive. The bridge is over 4 miles long and crosses the mouth of the Columbia River connecting Oregon and Washington on Highway 101. The ramp to the bridge steadily gains in elevation in a 360 curve. At the Oregon side, it is 200′ from the river below, allowing large ships access to travel up the Columbia River.

Astoria-Megar Bridge, Astoria, Oregon on Highway 101.

We drove to Cape Disappointment State Park in Washington state where we ate a picnic lunch. The beach was lined with a barrier of fallen trees. It is my guess that they were put there to protect the park from the tremendous breakers during bad weather. In the distance is Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, Washington.

Cape Disappointment was named so because Captain John Meares was unable to find the mouth of the Columbia River while sailing south in search of trade. He mistook it to be a large bay and was prevented from entering because of a large shallow shoal.

Looking back at Cape Disappointment State Park and beach in Washington.

We drove a short ways to The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Although we did not pay to see the museum, there were exhibits in the lobby that were free to view.

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Washington.

One exhibit was a first-order Fresnel Lens that was meant for the lighthouse. However, the lens was too big, so another one had to be ordered.

Fresnel Lens at Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center

Another display showed several lighthouses on the Oregon and Washington coast and their identifying light flashes.

Display at Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Cape Disappointment, Washington.

From the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, we had a better view of the lighthouse.

From there, we drove a short ways to see the North Head Lighthouse. North Head Lighthouse was built because ships approaching from the north could not see the lighthouse at Cape Disappointment.

I nearly missed getting a photo because of the fog that was blowing in. Cape Disappointment is one of the foggiest places in the U.S.

North Head Lighthouse keeper’s quarters.

I felt satisfied that we had seen as many lighthouses on the Oregon and Washington coast as we could during the time we were in Seaside, Oregon. We saw some beautiful scenery, we enjoyed the cool weather, and we feel sure we will be back.

A Museum and a National Historical Park

Posted on August 27, 2021 by admin

July, 2021

Columbia River Maritime Museum

While we were staying in Seaside, Oregon, we went to The Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. As we entered the museum, we saw a large map of the shipwrecks at the mouth of the Columbia River.

We watched a 3D surround sound documentary of “Aircraft Carrier–City at Sea” in the Theater. Then we wandered around the exhibits and learned about the extreme conditions of the Columbia River Bar, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Columbia River Bar Pilots.

U.S. Coast Guard Rescue display at Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Display in Columbia River Maritime Museum.

The museum tells the history of the Columbia River from the times of the Indians and their dugout canoes to the present day. The museum is very expansive and takes 2 or 3 hours to see everything. We took a break for lunch and walked across the street to a food truck to get lunch and then came back to see more.

Outside the museum is docked the Lightship Columbia, a National Historic Landmark. It is an actual lightship that used to guide ships to safety at the mouth of the Columbia River. I was able to go aboard and see the sailors living quarters. The lightship is a floating lighthouse manned by a crew of 17 men working two to four week rotations, with 10 men on duty at a time. It was in use from 1951 to 1979.

The Columbia Lightship–part of The Columbia River Maritime Museum.

We learned at the museum that ships today must have a specially trained pilot to guide them through the mouth of the Columbia River where it meets the Pacific Ocean. This pilot will come aboard their ship and guide the ships through the treacherous waters and sand bars at the mouth of the river. We saw several large cargo ships waiting their turn.

Cargo ships on Columbia River await their turn to go through the dangerous waters at the mouth of the Columbia River.

Lewis and Clark Natl. Historical Pk.

Lewis and Clark have always been two of my favorite explorers ever since I read “Streams to the River, River to the Sea” by Scott O’Dell. The story of their amazing adventure is told in part at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park near Astoria, Oregon, off Highway 101. Besides having another national park to check off of our list, it gave us a day of learning about the history of our country and some exercise as we hiked the trails near the visitor center.

We stopped at the Visitor Center where we saw a short film about the story of the winter fort of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in1805 – 1806. They named it Fort Clatsop after the nation of Indians who resided nearby.

Replica of Fort Clatsop, the winter fort of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

At the fort we watched a demonstration of the loading and shooting of a black powder rifle.

We walked down a pathway to the place on the river where Lewis and Clark could possibly have docked their dugout canoes.

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park actually has several different site locations. Many of the other sites are only minutes away. We decided save some of those different locations for another visit at another time. In all, we had an enjoyable day visiting this park.

Seaside, Oregon

Posted on August 26, 2021 by admin

It was just a short drive north on Highway 101 from South Beach to Seaside, Oregon, where we stayed in another Thousand Trails RV Resort called Seaside RV Resort. We had to backtrack south to see the Tillamook Lighthouse which is not really near Tillamook. It was really only a few miles south of Seaside, Oregon.

The Tillamook Lighthouse is on an island. It was quite windy and hazy making it hard to get a good photo.

The view from the Tillamook lookout was beautiful. If you look carefully, you can see Haystack Rock.

Scene from Tillamook Lighthouse viewpoint.

In this closer view Haystack Rock is in the distance. Later, we drove to Canon Beach where I got a closer look. Haystack Rock is home to many birds who make their nest in the nooks and crannies of the rock, even burrowing into the dirt to make their nests.

Haystack Rock in the distance at Canon Beach, Oregon.

When the tide is out, many people like to explore the tide pools around the rock.

A long drive south to Tillamook took us closer to Cape Meares Lighthouse. The road there is very narrow and windy, but we finally found the end.

There are two pathways to the lighthouse. It was windy and very misty. We opted for the pathway through the trees. The air was so moist, the trees “rained” on us as the moisture collected on the leaves and foliage.

Although Cape Meares Lighthouse is the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, it put out a powerful beam that could be seen twelve miles out at sea. Each lighthouse had its own signature beam of light. Cape Meares was 30 seconds of fixed white light from the primary lens followed by a red flash of five seconds from the bull’s-eye lens once every minute.

Cape Meares Lighthouse information booth.

The photo below shows the nine historic lighthouses on the Oregon Coast and whether they are still active.

With the cold windy weather, we were glad to get back to our truck to get warm.

Travel USA

Our Airstream Travels

Author Archives: admin

South Dakota Air and Space Museum & Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park

South Dakota Sights

Mount Rushmore

White Sulphur Springs, Montana

Montana

Glacier National Park

Crescent Bar

Quincy, Washington

Crescent Bar on the Columbia River

Japanese Peace Garden, Moses Lake, WA

Grand Coulee Dam, Washington

Washington Lighthouses

A Museum and a National Historical Park

Lewis and Clark Natl. Historical Pk.

Seaside, Oregon