The next day we toured the quaint town of Port Townsend, strolled through the Mercantile Store, walked along the waterfront with its striking Victorian era buildings, enjoyed pub grub while seated outside, wandered around Hudson Point, and stopped in at a quilt shop outside of town. Everywhere we went, masks were worn, hand sanitizer was readily available, and folks were courteously cautious.
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downtown Port Townsend
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| this stunning building being refurbished |
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| watching a ferry approaching at the waterfront |
Wednesday morning, we packed up and moved further south to Ocean Shores where we stayed at the Elks for the next couple of nights.
We walked along the beach, drove to Damon Point at one end, then to the jetty at the opposite end of the peninsula.
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| vast and flat Ocean Shores beach |
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| gooseneck barnacle encrusted log |
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gooseneck barnacles up close - typically
they attach to flotsam in the ocean or rocks |
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| Dungeness crab carapace |
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| beach art |
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| a gathering of gulls disturbed on our approach |
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yellow flag iris, considered to be an aggressive invader that
displaces species native to ponds, marshes and other wetlands |
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| rugged, wind-whipped coastal landscape |
Back at the Elks, the guys worked on our front headlights that needed adjustment while we gals went off to the quilt shop in town. No get-together is ever complete without some Alpine tinkering.
As is typical at this time of year along the coast, the following morning was grey and drippy and stayed that way all day. We had a spot of excitement first thing in the morning when I spied a black bear sniffing around the trash cans, then loping off into the underbrush. It seemed rather strange to see a bear at the beach but apparently he is a known regular visitor here.
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when my brain finally registered what my eyes were actually seeing,
first I shrieked in disbelief, then grabbed the phone to snap the photo
through window covered in the rain drops |
The next day, Saturday, turned out to be dry and sunny, and a perfect day for the Flag Day Parade through downtown Ocean Shores. There was a great turnout, and it was fun to watch the various entries, flags waving proudly. The participants were most generous with tossing candy to the bystanders. I don't think I ever ate so many Tootsie Rolls!
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| cool cars |
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| Flag Day royalty |
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| Red Hat Society |
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| many parading minis - obviously a popular car here |
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| the pirate ship shot loud "cannon balls" every so often... |
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and a wench proudly showing off her bloomers whenever she
caught a male's eye! |
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| vehicles of all sizes participated |
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| this float represents the prevalent area logging industry |
Later that afternoon we watched the annual Flag Day Service held in the Elks Lodge, after which we each picked up a folded retired flag and carried it outside to the building where there was a fire into which we tossed the flags. This is the proper way to dispose of a worn flag, a service performed here at the lodge each year.
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| black smoke from the fireplace inside |
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| lining up to toss our retired, folded flags into the ceremonial fire |
I learned about the evolution of the flag and its integral association with the Elks organization. One of their core values is to assist and honor military veterans, and the annual Flag Day Ceremony reinforces that goal each year. I never realized that the Elks in fact started the first veteran's hospital. The actual flag ceremony is an elaborate ritual, informative and inspirational. It was President Harry S. Truman, himself an Elk, who signed the Flag Day Bill into law in 1949.
The Elks continue the annual tradition in which several flags are displayed: the Flag of England, the Pine Tree Flag, Snake Flag, John Paul Jones Flag, the Great Union Flag, Colonial Flag, and Stars and Stripes Flag. I learned that John Paul Jones, a revolutionary war hero known as the father of the US Navy and also an Elk, is associated with the birth of the American flag. Prior to the independence of the American colonies, back on December 6, 1775, John Paul Jones, the newly commissioned first lieutenant aboard the continental ship Alfred, hoisted the Grand Union Flag of the thirteen colonies to inspire loyalty in those aspiring to create a new nation. And if I understood correctly as the history was retold at the ceremony, it was his mother who sewed the stars on to the makeshift flag he created for the occasion. At this time in history the official flag had not yet been decided but during these early days of struggling for independence, a flag for the cause was a spirit builder. On June 14, 1777 the Continental Congress decreed the design for the new nation's national ensign as we know it today.
I also learned that the flag is folded in 13 steps, and that each fold has a significant meaning.
The next morning was travel day to Fort Stevens just south of Astoria, Oregon. Predictably it rained overnight, quite hard, and once there was a break in the rain, we ventured off, hugging the coastline, grey clouds hanging overhead with occasional drippy patches. It certainly felt more like a fall day.
Approaching the mouth of the Columbia River to cross into Astoria on the other side in Oregon, the iconic bridge seemed to vanish into the heavy clouds and low fog. I joked that we would fall off the edge into the water below.
As we began to drive on to the lengthy bridge, more sections began to appear ahead.
We entered Oregon and proceeded to the State Park.After setting up and plugging in, the rain thankfully let up slightly. The drippy weather turned out to be a perfect opportunity to explore the shops and since it was my birthday and also our anniversary, I took advantage of the occasion. Additionally, in Oregon there is no sales tax which makes shopping much more compelling. While Debi scouted several stores for rainboots to keep her feet dry (Californians are not used to these drippy skies), I whirled through the various departments to see what would catch my eye. (Several items did, of course!)
After our collective shopping spree, we found a five star rated fish and chips restaurant called Ship Out. It turned out to be a food truck on the premises of a garden and gift center where tables were set up among the displays - quite unique and creative. The fish and chips was indeed top notch, and the various plants and displays entertained us during the meal.
Fort Clatsop was on the agenda next day. Thankfully the drippy skies ended, and we were able to walk to the fort and along the trail. Because of Covid precautions, we waited our turn to enter the museum where numbers were limited as was time to spend inside the museum.
We have visited here a number of times over the past years but it was still interesting to revisit the exhibits and refresh our minds about the Voyage of Discovery and facts relating to the country's greatest trekkers and map makers, Lewis and Clark.
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a replica of the fort the discoverers built as their winter quarters after finally reaching
the Pacific Ocean |
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statue of Sacajawea and her baby (sculpted by Jim Demetro) the only
female in the expedition party and
invaluable guide |
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| Arrival sculpted by Stan Wanlass, depicting Lewis, Clark, a Clatsop Indian and dog, Seaman |
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| the Clatsop Indian chief would have been given one of these medals |
By the time we finished up at Fort Clatsop, it was lunch time. We picked up a lunch snack at the bakery in Astoria that Sandy heard about, then walked along the Columbia River pier.
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Columbia River waterfront and the iconic Astoria 21,473-foot bridge across the
mouth of the river, connecting Washington state to Oregon |
Our next stop was the beach at Fort Stevens to show the Johnsons the remains of a shipwreck, the Peter Iredale. Today all you see are the skeletal remains of what once was a
4-masted iron sailing vessel built in Liverpool, England that ended up in the infamous Graveyard of the Pacific, the treacherous Columbia River mouth that has claimed over 2,000 vessels and hundreds of lives since the 1800s. Today, all ships are escorted safely into the river by experienced pilots who are familiar with the constantly shifting sand bars.
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| decrepit and decaying Peter Iredale |
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| the treacherous beach |
Next we moved on to Seaside, a quaint and nicely laid out seaside town with all manner of shops, boutiques, restaurants, hotels, arcades etc. We stopped to have tea but ended up having ice-cream instead. Along the way to the beach, Debi and I ducked into an interesting yarn shop and came back out with a couple of skeins for a scarf each.
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| statue of Lewis and Clark |
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| beach at Seaside, Oregon, a popular vacation spot |
In the morning we left Fort Stevens to continue further south, following the coastal road to Florence for the night. It rained along the way making the scenery look mysterious and foreboding.
Sections of the road were drier than others and eventually we began seeing the typical haystack rocks that the Oregon coast is known for.
Oyster farms are one of the coastal industries and the tell-tale sign are the oyster shell mounds we saw along the way.
We stopped in Tillamook at the famous cheese factory for a break. Besides stocking up on various cheeses, we absolutely had to indulge in their equally famous and delicious ice-cream before we could continue along the final miles to Florence.
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| cases of various cheeses |
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| the best ice-cream ever! |
The remainder of the day's trip to Florence took us along breathtaking views and the sun shone, highlighting the beauty of this rugged coast even more.
We spent the night at the Florence Elks RV campground. The sun was still shining, and we were able to have dinner outside for a change.
We were back on the road by 9:30 the next morning for the final leg to Gold Beach. Once again, the scenery was mesmerizing and beautiful making for a pleasant drive.  |
| the yellow dunes south of Florence |
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| sawdust mounds in Coos Bay, where the timber industry is big |
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the Tsunami Zone signs reminded us constantly that we were
now in a tsunami exposed area |
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| the Pacific Ocean and iconic haystack rock |
Around 2:30 in the afternoon, we arrived at Turtle Rock RV Park to join the other Alpine friends for the start of the rally. The next nine days would be busy and filled with social activities and excursions.
We entered Oregon and proceeded to the State Park.
After setting up and plugging in, the rain thankfully let up slightly. The drippy weather turned out to be a perfect opportunity to explore the shops and since it was my birthday and also our anniversary, I took advantage of the occasion. Additionally, in Oregon there is no sales tax which makes shopping much more compelling. While Debi scouted several stores for rainboots to keep her feet dry (Californians are not used to these drippy skies), I whirled through the various departments to see what would catch my eye. (Several items did, of course!)
Fort Clatsop was on the agenda next day. Thankfully the drippy skies ended, and we were able to walk to the fort and along the trail. Because of Covid precautions, we waited our turn to enter the museum where numbers were limited as was time to spend inside the museum. 
