FORT STEVENS STATE PARK, HAMMOND OREGON

As we left Tumalo State Park we drove individually to a church parking lot in order to hitch the CRV to the MoHo on an even surface,  Gary had a deer run across the road in front of him, again.   He had plenty of room and no need to even brake and he was glad I wasn't with him.    So that's our third deer this time.    We've seen a lot of signs warning of ELK but have not seen those yet.

Hitched the CRV first try,  Gary is getting better at that!    Hit the road on US 20 headed for Fort Stevens on the very northernmost Oregon Coast at the mouth of the Columbia River.   We travelled about 250 miles or so and crossed the Cascades.   Most of the mileage was two lane roads, which were good roads, lots of trees and lots of ups and downs as Caleb would say.   We skirted around Portland and hit a bit of traffic there but nothing like we are used to.

Arrived at Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond Oregon about 1ish.    Great check in area, plenty of room to maneuver and unhitch the CRV.  Very nice, very large park,    About 550 sites I believe.  The park is heavily wooded and lots of shrubbery and lots of mosquitoes!    We were prepared for that with our bug spray.   I managed to get just one bite!    But I did not sit outside much.   They also have yurts and deluxe cabins for rent. 

After getting settled in we took a ride through the park and we headed to see the Peter Iredale shipwreck which is still sitting in the sand with the front bow is visible and is all that's left.
The Oregon coast is very different than our Southern California coast.    There are very wide swaths of hard pack sand and vehicles can drive on certain sections of the beach.   There are a lot of rocks and a lot of wood debris in some areas.   Very breezy, very cool and definitely not a sunbathing beach that we are familiar with.

We then saw a  sign for one of Fort Stevens' gun batteries and we stopped to take a look.   Gary got some pictures and will be guest posting here with all the details.   Fascinating fact:  at this battery in June of 1942 a Japanese submarine fired on it.   The battery returned fire.  That was the first time since the war of 1812 that a foreign nation fired on the Continental United States.   In 1992 , the 50th anniversary, survivors of that Japanese submarine and Fort Stevens personnel dedicated a memorial to "everlasting peace between our two countries"

We also drove to the South Jetty and got some pretty pics of the ocean.  They have a wooden overlook built so you can see over the rocks that form the jetty.  

We then returned to MoHo and cooked dinner.  We were able to pull in about 5 channels using our antenna.  We had no Internet and very weak cell service.

On Friday we slept in late, cooked pancakes and sausage, and then hit the word for Astoria.  I took Gary to the Astoria Column commemorating the end of the Lewis and Clark Expedition at the mouth of the Columbia river.   As you can see in picture the column is "sheathed"  (get it Mo?) as they are restoring it.    The views are incredible and I thank Debbie Dunsworth for sharing it with me the first time.

We then went to the Columbia River Maritime Museum.   Money and time well spent.   It was a very interesting look at the life of the fishermen on the Columbia and the pilots who steer the large ships into the channel.   The channel is a very treacherous area for ships because of the large sand deposits that are constantly shifting.  Interesting fact;   since 1792 there have been over 2000 shipwrecks on the "bar" which is a sandbar.

We headed to Seaside and ate lunch at the Crabby Oyster - same place the girls and I and Debbie ate!
Then had to take the obligatory picture at the Seaside sign!   Gary had to buy some fudge and then we headed home.

Had dinner, watched Seinfeld on the Blue Ray and hit the hay.    Side note - I have slept like a log every night.   Amazing for me.   Of course I wear my ear plugs and can't hear a thing but it's working.