9/18 Smith Rock State Park

I am staying in another state park, but this one is not too far away and was recommended to me for the scenery.  It is very popular with rock climbers. Wish the sun had been brighter because the colors were really nicer than they look in these photos.

This used to be part of a private ranch.  Can you imagine living here and looking at this outside of your window?

Wish my knees and back were in better condition so I could hike some of these trails. The small visitor center is out of site on the left at the top of the canyon, and the bridge takes hikers across the river to the climbing wall and some other hiking trails. 

This is a very popular rock climbing wall.  The trail going up on the opposite side to the right is called Misery Trail.  I can see why.  

Such a pretty place! 

I kept trying to get photos when the sun was out, but there were still a lot of clouds. Nice to see the reflections in the river.

After I left here, I did some mundane things like getting a haircut and doing some shopping.

9/17 Drive Through Cascades to Bend, Oregon, Via U.S. 20

I plan my route and make camping reservations months in advance, sometimes as long as 8-9 months in advance.  Then I just follow my plan and head from place to place.  Sometimes I forget where I am headed, and that is what I did this time.  I knew I would be driving from the Coast to Bend, Oregon, but I completely was surprised that I had to drive over the Cascade Mountains! So this day, I dragged the beast up from sea level to over 4,800 feet and back down to 3,000 feet in elevation. 

Actually, it does fairly well going up long grades--better than trucks, although not quite as easily as the cars that pass me. 

 
I pulled over when I found this grove.  There was no one else around, so I did not take the hiking trail, but I did take some photos.

Made me dizzy to look up, but I took this photo anyway.

Motorhome looks very small compared to the big trees!

A few miles after the big trees grove, I passed the summit and started seeing a lot of burned trees.

 

It was interesting to compare the areas.  Some were burned a lot and others just a little with trees surviving as they are below. 

However, in this area, the fire must have been very hot, as the trees were completely charred. 

I found some interpretive signs explaining that this fire was in 2003 and burned 150 square miles.  That is a LOT of forest!  Most was part of the Deschutes National Forest.   

This sign shows how some areas burn differently than others.

You can see how this area was only lightly burned and many trees survived.

 

9/14 Yachats and Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Actually, these two places are in opposite directions from South Beach State Park, but I had to get out today anyway and dump my tanks, so I figured it would be a good day to visit each of these.

Yachats is 24 miles south and was recommended by a friend of mine who used to live near here.  Instead of the flat, wide beaches I have been seeing, the beaches are rocky in this area, with birds and sea lions.

Sunday was probably not the best day to visit such a small town with limited parking for big vehicles, but I finally was able to find a spot and headed up towards the farm market.  I could not resist taking a photo of this yard!

This photo is looking back at the beach area, just north of the "downtown."

More rocks and logs, plus a lot of birds.

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse is just south of Newport and about 10 miles north of the state park.  It is on a long and high peninsula that juts out into the Pacific.  It is a national park, so free for us seniors.  There is a nice visitor center, as well, which is not pictured here.

There are tours of the lighthouse, but you have to pick up a free pass at the visitor center, which I did.  Only problem was the hoards of flies swarming around--lots of swatting but luckily they did not seem to be biting.   I really have seen very few flying insects around Oregon, so it was a surprise.

The lighthouse is the tallest in Oregon and was built in 1873.  Lens is a first-order Fresnel.

A first-order Fresnel lens is 6' in diameter.  There are some rare ones slightly larger, but even the biggest lighthouses in the U.S. such as the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse have only the first-order lens.  (The smallest are called "sixth order.")

I skipped the dump site on my way out this morning because of the long lines, but this is what I found when I got back at the state park at 4:00 p.m.   Lots of people checking in and blocking the entrance to the dump site.  The rangers were going down the line looking for people who already had reservations so they could expedite their check-in.  It took only about 5 minutes for the line to move so I could drive into the area where I could empty my tanks. I can go about four days without dumping my "grey" water, which is the water that results from dishwashing and showers.  I was at my limit, so it was worth the wait.  Ridiculous that this state park has only ONE sewer dump place for about 200 campsites! 

Almost all parks have a registration line and a bypass lane, so after dumping, I was able to zip past the line and park again in my spot.  Got a couple more days here before heading to my next spot in Bend, Oregon. 

9/13 Hatfield Marine Science Center & Oregon Coast Aquarium

Went for another long bike ride today, and since I had remembered by cable lock, I could visit the two attractions nearby. (Now, if I could always remember my helmet, I would be happy.)

The Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center is owned by Oregon State University and is free.  It is well worth an hour or two stop. 

Several touch-pools for kids and adults who are brave enough to touch spiky and slimy things.

Very nice displays with lots of things for kids to do.

I thought this walrus skull was impressive.

 
And this Orca skull.

The aquarium is right around the corner, but was very disappointing especially since it cost almost $20 per person.  If you have seen Monterey Bay Aquarium or the one in Baltimore, skip this one.  Only interesting thing was the puffins I videotaped, below.   

This is the aquatic bird exhibit.

The puffins were really acting silly--diving and flapping and running back and forth on top of the water.

Click on the link to the video I posted on YouTube that shows this much better than a still photo.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j6cXaWEBG4  (Hope this link works.)

There were some seals and sea otters outside, but I couldn't get close enough to see them.  These are some turkey vultures that someone found.  They really don't belong in an aquarium, but they needed a home.