After a morning mocha at the Cape Kiwanda RV Resort market we started out along the 40-mile-long 3 Capes Scenic Drive. Our first exploration was Whalen Island Park and Campground, about 4 miles north of Pacific City. It is a small county park with about 30 dry camping sites. It is adjacent to the Sand Lake estuary and State-protected wetlands. It is a nice little park and appears to be a very popular fishing site.
Our next stop was the Sand Lake Recreation Area, with campgrounds primarily for campers with ATVs. We drove through the campground (which was full) and noted a lot of ATVs and campers having a good time. The Recreation Area has about 1700+ acres of sand dunes open to ATVs and is very popular. Sand Lake is a natural estuary opening to the ocean and subject to noticeable incoming tidal flows.
We then drove about 5 miles north to Cape Lookout, a high wooded promontory that sticks out into the ocean. The Lookout Point Trail is a hike with spectacular views, often on both sides of the trail, and with many 500+' vertical dropoffs (no guardrails). We walked through a rain forest of Sitka spruce and Western Hemlock with a thick understorey of trillium, salal, ferns and salmonberry bushes. The trail was very muddy and rocky, with many roots sticking up through the surface. Judy gave out in about 1 1/2 miles, so we turned back to the trail head. There were many other hikers on the trail, some with small children. There were also several runners.
After lunch at Netarts, a small bayside town, we drove to Cape Meares, the third cape on the scenic route. Oregon's shortest lighthouse (38 feet) stands atop Cape Meares and 217 feet up from the surf. The area around the lighthouse has two large scenic viewing platforms, one on each side of the cape. Above the ocean, a small interpretive center describes all of the marine animal life and birds that can be seen from these viewpoints..
The lighthouse is small and delightful to visit, although the light has been decommissioned and is not in working order. The docents in the lighthouse were very knowledgeable about the history of the lighthouse and the Cape Meares area.
We also visited the "Octopus Tree" near the lighthouse. It is an unusually large Sitka Spruce tree named for its unique shape. More than 10 feet at its base, it has no central trunk, uncommon for a spruce. Instead, limbs 3-5 feet thick branch out close to the ground. The tree is estimated to be about 250-300 years old.
We then completed the scenic loop by heading east to Tilamook and back south along US Highway 101 to Pacific City where we are staying. However, we had to stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream cones and some excellent cheese made there. While waiting in the ice cream line we also learned from a local about the Tillamook County Fair currently in progress here and its "world renowned" Pig-and-Ford Race, a complicated event involving 1920's-era Model-T Fords, their owner/drivers and small pigs that go along as passengers during the race, presumably not thrilled by the idea.
Our next stop was the Sand Lake Recreation Area, with campgrounds primarily for campers with ATVs. We drove through the campground (which was full) and noted a lot of ATVs and campers having a good time. The Recreation Area has about 1700+ acres of sand dunes open to ATVs and is very popular. Sand Lake is a natural estuary opening to the ocean and subject to noticeable incoming tidal flows.
We then drove about 5 miles north to Cape Lookout, a high wooded promontory that sticks out into the ocean. The Lookout Point Trail is a hike with spectacular views, often on both sides of the trail, and with many 500+' vertical dropoffs (no guardrails). We walked through a rain forest of Sitka spruce and Western Hemlock with a thick understorey of trillium, salal, ferns and salmonberry bushes. The trail was very muddy and rocky, with many roots sticking up through the surface. Judy gave out in about 1 1/2 miles, so we turned back to the trail head. There were many other hikers on the trail, some with small children. There were also several runners.
After lunch at Netarts, a small bayside town, we drove to Cape Meares, the third cape on the scenic route. Oregon's shortest lighthouse (38 feet) stands atop Cape Meares and 217 feet up from the surf. The area around the lighthouse has two large scenic viewing platforms, one on each side of the cape. Above the ocean, a small interpretive center describes all of the marine animal life and birds that can be seen from these viewpoints..
The lighthouse is small and delightful to visit, although the light has been decommissioned and is not in working order. The docents in the lighthouse were very knowledgeable about the history of the lighthouse and the Cape Meares area.
We also visited the "Octopus Tree" near the lighthouse. It is an unusually large Sitka Spruce tree named for its unique shape. More than 10 feet at its base, it has no central trunk, uncommon for a spruce. Instead, limbs 3-5 feet thick branch out close to the ground. The tree is estimated to be about 250-300 years old.We then completed the scenic loop by heading east to Tilamook and back south along US Highway 101 to Pacific City where we are staying. However, we had to stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream cones and some excellent cheese made there. While waiting in the ice cream line we also learned from a local about the Tillamook County Fair currently in progress here and its "world renowned" Pig-and-Ford Race, a complicated event involving 1920's-era Model-T Fords, their owner/drivers and small pigs that go along as passengers during the race, presumably not thrilled by the idea.
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