February 7th
LONG BEACH, WASHINGTON
We said goodbye to Amaree and her family and were off early to head to the coast!
Our first stop was in Long Beach, Washington, the world's longest beach! While there, the kids tried their first clam chowder and loved it! I am definitely NOT a seafood fan, but I took a bite just to say that I had and it was actually really good. The place we went to was called Chowder Stop, a cute little restaurant right on the beach. We saw more bald Eagles and loved watching the powerful ocean waves.
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CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT, WASHINGTON
Cape disappointment was named on July 6th 1788 by British fur trader John Meares. He mistook the cape for a bay where he wanted to trade. Anyway, there was a lighthouse there and we took a little walk to take in the amazing ocean air and look at the lighthouse. This little walk was so memorable because Landen put Joselyn on his shoulders and walked for quite some time. I was really seeing all of my children bond during this trip and it was the sweetest thing. Cape Disappointment was my first real taste of the Pacific Northwest coast, and it was far from a disappointment. It was breathtaking and memorable. And cold and windy!
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OREGON - PETER IREDALE SHIPWRECK
Oregon was my most anticipated stop because it was the only inland state that I had not been to! We crossed a long bridge over to Astoria, Oregon. Crossing over the bridge was really neat. It was rainy and moody and I could see sea gulls flying beside me.
Once in Astoria, we headed to the Peter Iredale shipwreck. This was my find, and I was so excited to see it. Thing is, we had to get there when the tide was low to be able to go right up to it. We lucked out and it was crazy cool! Even though it was windy and cold, it was definitely one of the coolest things we saw on the trip. And even though it sounds mysterious, the story of how the shipwreck got there isn't what you'd think.
"The wreck of the Peter Iredale is shown in this photograph, taken by Portland photographer Leo Simon on November 13, 1906, nineteen days after the ship ran aground near Ft. Stevens.
The Peter Iredale was a four-masted steel bark built in Maryport, England, in 1890 and owned by British shipping firm Iredale & Porter. On September 26, 1906, the Iredale left Salina Cruz, Mexico, bound for Portland, where it was to pick up a cargo of wheat for the United Kingdom. Despite encountering heavy fog, they managed to safely reach the mouth of the Columbia River early in the morning of October 25. The captain of the ship, H. Lawrence, later recalled that, as they waited for a pilot, “a heavy southeast wind blew and a strong current prevailed. Before the vessel could be veered around, she was in the breakers and all efforts to keep her off were unavailing.” The Iredale ran aground at Clatsop Beach, hitting so hard that three of her masts snapped from the impact. Fortunately, none of the crew were seriously injured. Captain Lawrence ordered that the ship be abandoned, and rockets were launched to signal for help.
The lifesaving station at Point Adams quickly responded, sending a team of men to rescue the crew. It was a dangerous task, but the lifesavers managed to bring all twenty-seven crewmen, including two stowaways, safely to shore. William K. Inman, one of the lifesavers who helped Captain Lawrence ashore, remembered that the red-bearded captain stood stiffly at attention, saluted his ship, and said “May God bless you and may your bones bleach in these sands.” He then turned and addressed his men with a bottle of whisky in his hand. “Boys,” he said, “have a drink.” The British Naval Court later ruled that the sudden wind shift and the strong current were responsible for the stranding of the ship, and that the captain and his officers were “in no wise to blame.”
The wrecked bark became an immediate tourist attraction. The day after the ship ran ashore the Oregon Journal reported that the wreck “proved a strong attraction…and in spite of the gale that was raging scores flocked to the scene of the disaster.” They noted that the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad was already planning to run excursion trains to the site.
Although the ship has been broken up by wave, wind, and sand over the years, the wreck of the Peter Iredale continues to be a popular tourist attraction."
From: https://oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/the-wreck-of-the-peter-iredale/#.X0RIuMhKiM8
We also made a quick stop to Cannon Beach, but we didn't stay long at all because it was really windy and cold. We had to get a picture though!
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OREGON - TILLAMOOK CREAMERY
This was a fun stop for the kids and Grampz! It was interesting to see how ice cream and cheese was made for sure, but it also kind of breaks my heart a little when I think about the baby cows being taken from their mothers, so it was a little hard for me. Anyway, it was our last stop of the day!