Oregon, Tillamook - Monday, August 20, 2018 - Pacific City and Lincoln City

We stayed home yesterday and did some responsible adult stuff like grocery shopping and laundry.  We were at the Tillamook Creamery early this morning to try their breakfast sandwich and yogurt bar – yummy!

We were headed to Pacific City, but the Cape Lookout State Park looked interesting so we decided to stop on the way.  There is a $5 day use fee.  It was cool and breezy today, but this picnic area would be wonderful on a warmer day.  This park has lots of nice picnic areas.

More views in Cape Lookout State Park.

Pacific City is famous for its dory boats that are launched directly into the surf.  Dory Days in June of each year celebrates the dory fleet. For more than 100 years, boats have gone to sea from this sandy beach, sheltered by Cape Kiwanda.   According to the travel guidebooks there is no other harbor, port or fishing fleet anywhere in the world exactly like this.

After 1927 commercial fishing was only allowed in the open ocean.  The dory was built to allow fishermen to launch from and slide back onto the beach at Pacific City.  The dory fleet boomed to 600 boats in the 1960’s.  At that time the city had five boat builders.  I think the fleet now numbers around 200.

If there are boat trailers in this area (like today) people and pets are not supposed to be in the area because the boats come in from the ocean at high speed.  Several stupid people were out this morning and the park ranger truck was sitting empty.

This guy knew what he was doing, he’s blowing his horn and hitting the beach full speed ahead.

Still coming full on – people beware!

He slid so fast across the packed sand I couldn’t catch a picture.  He is ready to hook up.

Loved that!  You would think after watching him people would realize they should move – Nope, let the dogs and the kids run free.  There is a huge beach and they want to stand in the way in this one little spot.

This guy slowed down because a kid and a dog were running around.

This is what happens when they slow down.  Had to push and tow the boat in.

This was a charter boat coming in full speed, horn blowing.

And then people got in the way and he had to slow abruptly.  I bet the captain was swearing.  I think the park ranger was supposed to be out keeping people who can’t read out of the way.

This large sand dune next to the beach seemed to be a favorite with hearty hikers.

The sandstone of Cape Kiwanda.

Haystack Rock, the third largest monolith in the world, is about a mile offshore.

What a great view these folks have.

Parking is allowed on the beach.  However, be sure you know what you are doing, we saw a car get really buried.

Pacific City was supposed to be our last stop of the day but it was still early so we decided to go on to Lincoln City for lunch.  A stop at Winema Wayfinding Point had a pretty good view.

Everywhere we have gone along the coast we see espresso bars every block or two.  Greg remarked that it was similar to how we saw lobster shacks one after the other when we were in Maine.  Speaking of that, lobster isn’t on the menu out here, its crab, clams, oysters and shrimp.

Wild raspberry bushes (huge patches of them), ferns and vines grow in the areas surrounding the beaches and along the roads.  Some of the berry vines stick out into the road.  I checked, they aren’t quite ripe yet even though some look like they might be.

For lunch we are headed into Taft Historic District in Lincoln City.

Mo’s is our destination.  We got lucky again and got a front row parking spot in a very crowded lot.

Inside was crowded but we got a table right away and the service was fast.

The view from our table.  This is Siletz Bay and Taft Dock.

Mo’s is famous for their clam chowder.  This is the first bowl of clam chowder I have ever had.  I really like it – just what I need, something else I like to eat!  Since Greg is a big fan of clam chowder I asked for his review of this particular chowder, he thought it was very good also.

The beach near Mo’s and the pier is filled with large pieces of driftwood.

View of Mo’s from the pier.

Wildlife picture of the day.  We keep seeing these signs and signs about bald eagles, sea lions and whales.  This is the closest we have been to any wildlife since we were in Yellowstone.  The sign in the background states that we are on the 45^th parallel halfway between the equator and the North Pole.

Yesterday I splurged on Sandra Brown’s new book, Tailspin, so I’ll probably be on the couch the rest of the day enjoying it.