9/25 Cape Lookout State Parak, Tillimook, OR

Got here on a very busy Saturday late afternoon, with a campground full of families.  Sunday, as usual, saw a lot of the families leave and replaced with quieter older folks and a few rental RVs with European travelers.  I chatted with one couple who was surprised at how hard it was to get a place to camp this time of year.  They had expected this to be pretty much off-season and had not made any reservations.  Actually, for the past month, almost every campground I have been in has been full by early afternoon.  This is a great time to travel because it is still sunny and relatively warm, but supposedly less crowded.  They were towards the end of a four-week loop around the northwest. 

The next day, I found this outside my door with a note from another European couple who were also headed home out of Seattle the next day.  The note asked me to take what I wanted and pass the rest on to someone else!

I had only about 40 miles to drive here from Nehalem Beach, so I stopped and picked up a few groceries.  I really have been carrying a lot of food that I need to eat, so I did not get much, but at least I won't have to go shopping for a while. 

I had a long line of cars behind me as I was getting close to the campground and really felt pressured.  I should know better to take my time by now, but my GPS told me to turn left and I did.  Oops.  Not the right road, to say the least.  This was a narrow logging road and it took driving a mile to find a place where I could turn around. 

Back on the right road, the place where I had had to turn around was the logged area about in the middle of this photo. 

Cape Lookout State Park is close to the beach.  The trees are all spindly and branches have grown on the sides where the wind does not blow as hard. 

The best spots do not have any hookups, but are closer to the beach.  Unfortunately, the dunes and vegetation prevents them having a view anyway.  My site was a couple of roads in with no view at all, but I was able to get a satellite signal.  It was also a full-hookup site, so I was able to flush my stinky black tank for the first time in about three weeks. 

Lots of warnings at the entrance of the beach.  One slightly unsettling thing along the Oregon and Washington coasts are all the sunami warning signs. 

The state has piled up a lot of rocks to protect the eroding dunes, but it really makes it hard to walk down to the beach.  I went for a long beach walk this day, even if it was a little tricky getting up and down without falling. 

Found this little stream at the south end of the park. 

 Heading back home, I had to scramble to get around this little rocky point.  It had been dry on the way, but the tide was coming in, so I had to watch the waves and do some wading.

 

Lots of little barnacles (?) on the rocks.  Would not be a comfortable place to sit. 

 

The next pictures were taken a day later when the fog was heavy.  I found a slightly easier place to get to the beach, but it ended up being just too foggy, so I came back home.  Will try again later.