DAY 25 - CANNON BEACH - MANZANITA - NEHALEM - WHEELER - BRIGHTON, OREGON

MORRIS' RESTAURANT, CANNON BEACH, OREGON...OWNER, TOM MORRIS, GAVE ME INTERESTING HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, SOME OF WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THIS EPISODE...THANKS TOM...Ate my breakfast at this table next to the cozy fire.

MORRIS RESTAURANT AND SPIA

BEACH SCENE, MANZANITA, OREGON

BEACH LOOKING SOUTH FROM US101 ABOVE MANZANITA, OREGON...This is a man-made barrier protecting the Nehalen River Estuary...a most beautiful vista

SHORE LINE OF BARRIER ...lots of folks out even in mid-winter, walking the beaches...sometimes great treasures are found, such as the Cannon from the Sailing War Ship USS SHARK, which foundered entering the Columbia Bar in the 1800's...in 1950, a cannon from the SHARK was found at Arch Point, South of Cannon Bay (hence the name)...in the past couple years, two MORE cannons have been found from this same ship...now being preserved by the Oregon State Parks Department. This ship normally carriers 28 - 36 such cannon.

MANZANITA, OREGON

NEVER BEFORE WALKED A TRULY 7 % HILL...most prodigious

NEED A 3-D CAMERA TO CATCH THE 7 % STEEPNESS...BUT HERE IS THE BEST I CAN DO

A HOME-CARVED TOTEM ?...LOOKS TO ME THE LIKENESS OF AN ASIAN MAN...IN FACT, ABOUT 1,000 YEARS AGO, THE CHINESE OUT OF SHANGHAI (where I visited recently), BUILT AND EXPLORED THE ENTIRE WORLD - INCLUDING THE WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA -IN SHIPS ABOUT 800 FEET LONG...A NUMBER OF THESE SHIPS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED, BUT NOTHING IS REPORTED...I would like to explore this much further...one such ship is rumoured off the West Coast of Vancouver Island...another in the Sacramento River Delta.

AND YET, ANOTHER FIREWOOD SALES PROMOTION...THIS ONE NEAR MANZANITA, OREGON.

THESE TWO GENTS ARE IN THE FIREWOOD WORKS...ON THE LEFT IS "TOAD", WHO IS THE FIREWOOD SALESMAN. ON THE RIGHT IS AN INTERESTED DRIVE-BY, WHO COULD NOT RESIST STOPPING TO SEE WHO I WAS...HIS NAME IS - DEPENDING UPON THE TIME OF HIS LIFE - "STUD" UNTIL 18 YEARS OLD; "GRIZ" LOGGING IN ALASKA; AND TWO MORE THAT FOR THE MOMENT ESCAPE ME...sorry

US 101 NEAR NEHALEM, OREGON

MAJESTIC BRIDGE OVER THE NEHALEM RIVER NEAR WHEELER, OREGON

NEHALEM RIVER FROM THE BRIDGE

NEHALEM, OREGON "WELCOME"

KELLY...PADRONE OF KELLY'S BRIGHTON MARINA & RV PARK...SPIA SITS WITHIN 30 FEET OF THE BANKS OF THE NEHALEM RIVER AT KELLY'S...SUN IS OUT BRIGHT ONE MOMENT..THE NEXT IS HAILING...FOLLOWED BY MORE SUN...THEN POUNDING RAIN...a very interesting place to observe the weather.

DAY 25 – STILL AT CANNON BEACH, OREGON

Took advantage of the RV Park offer for a free night…”to help you on your quest…”

It rained much of the night –not again…STILL. Sometimes pounding on SPIA rooftop.

SPIA’s Propane Space Heater is a marvel…it squeaks and rattles a bit on startup, but works well…thermostat is good…is quiet…and heats INSTANTLY. Have not realized how much more comfy SPIA is than when not sitting here teeth a chattering. AND, no more wet clothes and shoes…

The fear of the unknown…did not know HOW to start the Space Heater – and was concerned for running out of Propane – so, did not even try to use it…without flooding the floor, probably would still have chattering teeth and putting on wet clothes.

The carpet is back down and most clothes are fully dry. And again rain is pounding SPIA.

Will wait until 8 am before leaving the RV Park. Must fill up SPIA’s gas tank and want to check the Propane Tank…two weeks ago topped it off near Port Townsend and it had used only 1 gallon (tank holds 7 gallons). Now running the Fridge, the Space Heater and the stove (only the Hot Water Heater is not on line), have surely consumed quite a bit.

Is now 7:30 am. Is light by 7:00 am, but here in the RV Park, it is pitch black…cannot walk safely in the dark, so am content to write a bit while waiting for 8:00 am…then will drive to Manzanita, park, and pick up the mile or two I missed yesterday...more later...

Now 4:00 pm. SPIA is at Kelly's BRIGHTON MARINA & RV PARK near ROCKAWAY BEACH, OREGON...on the Nehalen River behind a long man-made reef barrier holding back the Pacific Ocean. Kelly offered to BBQ up some Oysters a bit later...Yum.

Drove SPIA around the beach area of Cannon Beach...had a bite at Morris' Fireside Restaurant...then headed for Manzanita, Oregon. Parked at the WAVE RESTAURANT and walked back on US 101 for 3 miles (up a 7% STEEP 1.5 mile hill - and back down later) and return. Did not stop at SPIA...kept walking to NEHALEN, OREGON and on to WHEELER, OREGON...walked back through Nehalen and received a ride from Maureen, who was very helpful in telling me where things are and where to stop for the night...Thanks, Maureen.

South of the steep hills ending at Manzanita is a vast estuary of the Nehalen River. The Pacific Ocean is held back by a man made barrier which, when viewed from US 101 North of Manzanita is spectacular...see pics.

Nehalen, Wheeler and Rockaway Beach are protected behind that barrier. Steelhead Salmon are running up the Oregon Rivers at this time and fishing is, I am told, quite good...also, many Sturgeon (very large fish dating back millions of years) are in the Rivers, including the Columbia River. Sturgeon eggs are a long-time source for Russian Caviar.

REPORT UPDATE: Walked 14 miles; count 12 miles

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 12 miles @ $0.02 = $0.24 for the day.

In the morning, plan to walk BACK to Wheeler, Oregon...then on to Rockaway Beach and perhaps on towards TILLAMOOK, OREGON., which looks to be about 20 miles South.

This double walking is really taking up lots of time...but, I get to see interesting things both COMING AND GOING.

All the while I have been creating this update, SPIA has been shaking and bouncing...do not see the trees doing any severe blowing...wonder if we are experiencing small earthquakes...