DAY 19 - BRIGHT SUN, CLEAR SKIES, AND BITTER COLD WALKING

LIGHTHOUSE - COLUMBIA RIVER, WASHINGTON (LONG BEACH SIDE)

LONGBEACH, WASHINGTON

FRYING PAN...USED IN LONG BEACH, WASHINGTON FOR COMMUNITY COOK UP OF "RAZOR" CLAMS...SOURCE FOR MOST CLAM CHOWDERS

LONG BEACH, WASHINGTON...THIS BEACH WAS FORMED OVER UNCOUNTED YEARS BY THE OUTFLOW OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER...THE NEW JETTY HAS PRETTY MUCH PUT A STOP TO FURTHER GROWTH.

SPIA ON "THE WORLDS LONGEST BEACH"...YES, VEHICLES CAN AND DO DRIVE WASHINGTON STATE PACIFIC OCEAN BEACHES....BETTER KNOW YOUR TIDES

THIS IS A "RED" BOUY. ALL NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS OF THE WORLD HAVE THESE BOUYS...ONE SIDE OF THE CHANNEL HAS "RED" BOUYS...THE OTHER SIDE HAS "GREEN" BOUYS...IN THE USA AND CANADA, WHEN RETURNING TO THE LAND FROM THE SEA, ALL "RED" BOUYS ARE ON YOUR RIGHT HAND SIDE...The rest of the World has it reversed...naturally

BRUCE, OVERLOOKING THE SOUTHERN END OF THE WORLDS LONGEST BEACH

- Thank you, Peggy

PEGGY - THE ALPACA GIRL

PACIFIC OCEAN...NEXT MONTH WE ARE GONNA SEE A LOT OF THIS

THE GOVERNMENT HOMES THE LIGHTKEEPERS...VACATED FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS OR SO WHEN LIGHTHOUSES WERE AUTOMATED.

THESE HOMES ARE FOR "RENT" TO FOLKS LIKE ME AND YOU. THESE TWO COST ABOUT $200.00 A NIGHT (MINIMUM 2 NIGHTS) FULLY FURNISHED READY ENTERTAIN. CONTACT WASHINGTON STATE PARKS.GOV. WASHINGTON STATE HAS MANY SUCH RENTAL PROPERTIES AVAILABLE.

THE - AUTOMATED LIGHTHOUSE ...NORTH SIDE OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER ESTUARY

THE SHORT LOOP ROAD TO THE LIGHT HOUSE AND THE LEWIS AND CLARK INFORMATION CENTER...THIS AREA HAS MANY - WHEEL CHAIR ACCESSIBLE TRAILS...MARY, THE HOSTESS AT THE LEWIS AND CLARK CENTER, USED A WHEEL CHAIR AND WHEN GOING TO LONG BEACH FROM ILWACO, DRIVES HER MOTORIZED CHAIR ON THE BEACH TRAIL...SAYS ITS SAFER THAN HWY 100 OR US 101.

NORTH JETTY - FROM MARY'S LEWIS & CLARK (INFO) INTERPRETATIVE CENTER

LOOKING SOUTH AT THE NORTH JETTY

LOOKING SOUTH ACROSS THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER AT THE SOUTH JETTY...HILLS BEHIND ARE OREGON...WHERE TOMORROW, WE WILL BE WALKING

ILWACO, WASHINGTON MARINA

LOTS OF WATER ACTIVITIES IN ILWACO, WASHINGTON

ILWACO, WASHINGTON...LIGHTHOUSE(S) - THERE ARE TWO OF 'EM) SIT ON THOSE DISTANT HILLS

A STROLL ALONG ILWALCO, WASHINGTON WATERFRONT HAS LOTS TO SEE

VERA, ME, AND ERIKA & SON

VERA, JIM, DAUGHTER ERIKA AND SON

ERIKA'S SON RIDING "NICKIE"...NICKIE LOVES ATTENTION

A FRIENDLY DUCK...JUST SWAM IN THE ROADSIDE DITCH LOOKING AT ME...NOT THE LEAST BIT AFRAID

Slept in until 7am this morning...it was so cold, did not want to leave the feathers.

Finally did...went to the next door Restaurant for eggs, hashbrowns, rye toast and coffee.

Checked SPIA out of the RV Spot and drove to the laundromat. $1.75 / load to wash and $1.25 to dry.

Drove around Long Beach...took a few pics...and parked SPIA. Walked the three miles South on Hwy 100 to ILWACO, WASHINGTON...a well known fishing resort town on the Columbia River where it meets the Pacific Ocean. Walked back to SPIA - only 3 miles away - and drove to Ilwaco. Parked again and walked to the Lighthouse and the Lewis and Clark Information Center...awesome view from there of the Pacific Ocean and the massive waves crashing into the out-flowing Columbia River Waters...known as the graveyard of ships because of all the ships lost trying to cross the "Bar" over the last 150 years or so.

Came here a few times as a pre-teenager to Salmon Fish with Dad. Don't remember it well.

Stopped for a bowl of Clam Chowder and a Salad for lunch, parked SPIA again, and started walking the 13 miles on Hwy 100 East to the ASTORIA, OREGON Bridge crossing over the Columbia River.

Made it only 2 miles and was hailed by a fellow with two LARGE dogs...turns out the dogs were chummy and greeted me like an old friend...as did Jim, the "hailer".

Spent a half hour or so with Jim, his wife, Vera, and their Daughter, Erika...

Come on in...

I did

Have a drink

I did

Chat

We did

Jim is a retired Nurse. Erika is a still employed Nurse. Vera is a Physical Therapist, who makes a formidable Chicken Soup...loaded with just about every vegetable one can name...all from their own garden...which is still flourishing in mid-Winter...out in the open...thanks in great part to BIOCHAR.

Excused my self to continue my walk to the Bridge...Jim insisted SPIA spend the night, complete with electrical hookup ...

Bloody Verizon Signal keeps cutting out...lost over half of my narrative...

To try to continue:

Walked toward the Astoria, Oregon Columbia River Bridge for 7 miles and return..total 14 miles.....count 7 miles. In the morning, must do another 4 miles to complete this section before crossing over to Astoria.

Drove SPIA to Jim's, hooked up electrical, and spent the next 4 incredible hours in the home of Jim and Vera.

Jim is into bio-earth science...specializing on BIOCHAR...a science used World wide for ...well I guess, forever, but rather new to the USA. Basically, it involves creating BIOCHAR from virtually ANY organic substance...achieved by heating the "organic" material from 800 to 1,300 F. while excluding Oxygen. The uses of BIOCHAR are seemingly endless. Further processing techniques - being performed World-Wide right now, include extraction od oils.

Knowing NOTHING about BIOCHAR 4 hours ago, I don't feel qualified to go into ANY details...anyone interested may feel free to contact me ...or better yet, Google BIOCHAR...seems to be a signficant interest in the Amazon Basin (Brazil) on this subject.

Fascinating...simply fascinating.

Wrote much more, before Verizon DUMP, but too cold to repeat it now...perhaps later...apologize, Jim.

DAILY UPDATE: Walked 22 miles...count 11 miles

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 11 miles @ $0.02 = $0.22 for the day.

Tomorrow, will complete the 4 miles to the Bridge, drive SPIA over the Bridge, and walk BACK over and return to SPIA.

Will then drive to Peggy's Alpaca Ranch Ranch...have her address and a good GPS.

Then, the next day, start our walk down the magnificent Oregon Pacific Ocean Coast.