Long Beach

 

From Lakewood, WA a combination of US highways and WA state roads led us west and south across the state to the Pacific coast.  The roads were scenic, rolling through small towns, up and down, and around countless trees.  In Raymond we encountered an entire town decorated by these metal cut-outs of people and animals.

The Pacific coast as seen from S. US 101, just north of the Oregon border. The Willapa River runs between the road and that line of hills.  The ocean is on the other side of the ridge.

We passed a lot of uninhabited land, but saw no wildlife except this herd of elk (lower right) 

Long Beach Thousand Trails rv park is our home for the next three days.  The word for this park is ‘compact’.  This is the office and lounge with wifi hotspot, tv, library, and restrooms.

There are 110 back-in sites with full hookups, some 50 amp, some 30 amp.  The sites are wide enough, but most are barely long enough for bigger rigs.  We found a spot on the back row

with overflow and extra parking across the drive.  This allowed us to pull forward and back straight in.  We are an odd numbered site, which means that our sewer hose runs under the rig to the passenger rear corner.  We carry extra for times like these.

The park also offers tent camping in five areas, two sizes of cabins,

and yurts.

Compact pool and hot tub, playground area, and horseshoes.  People don’t come here for the amenities.  The ocean is a 20 min. walk from here, and the weather is cool in the summer.  Duane and I had on jeans and long sleeved shirts and were a little cool in the bright sunshine.

Besides checking out TT parks we have not visited before, we came here to connect with the Lewis and Clark Trail in this area.  This park is home to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Cape Disappointment, the destination of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and only a 10 min bike ride from the rv park.  The park is very beautiful, encompassing an old wood forest that was here when Lewis and Clark arrived.

Nice hike/bike path, beautiful bike ride.

This 60’ Sitka Spruce makes Duane look tiny.

 

The Interpretive Center is a .2 mile hike up to the top of a bluff. 

For $5 apiece we wandered along a timeline of the Expedition. 

In addition to the timeline, displays include other information, journal entries, and hands-on activities, plus a 16 minute film.

Cape Disappointment, named by British fur trader John Meares.  In 1788 after a storm, was disappointed not to fine the mouth of the Columbia River.  Here is where the Expedition’s quest ended with the sight of the Pacific Ocean.

View of the lighthouse from the Center.  These two buildings sit on bluffs separated by a long inlet.

View from the lighthouse.  To access it we hiked 1/2 mile down that bluff, around the inlet, and up the other bluff.

The reason for a lighthouse here.

View from the lighthouse (maintained and operated by the Coast Guard).  That ship out there is in the channel, where the Columbia empties into the Pacific.

Of course, we had to hike down and up and down back through the beautiful forest to the parking lot, then ride home.  A tough job.  Who better than us to do it?

More history tomorrow.

Louise and Duane