A word or two about parking. It has become clear that denial of overnight parking is related to parking on "public" property. Appears that private land owners can approve overnight parking on their private property.
This has yet to be challenged, because in California and Florida, I have been kicked off private property by local police...even after getting private owner approval.
Another note: nearly 100 % of business owners prohibit public use of their toilet facilities...purchasing a bowl of soup (or equal) seems to be the magic key to use the "facilities".
In any event, after being denied overnight parking in Manzanita, I drove some 10 miles to the town of WHEELER, where the "publlic" also denied overnight parking...being overheard by private folks, I was offered overnight parking by no less than three local homeowners. The local restaurant / Bar / Grill, offered a spot in their private lot...only later to be discovered that that lot actually belonged to the city.
So very confusing !
To avoid confrontation, I began walking at 0630 hours (6:30 am), walking north on US 101 back to Manzanita. On the way, it being still dark, I encountered the above herd of about 20 Roosevelt ELK. This pic was taken in the dark with my wee PANASONIC from about 300 feet away.. WOW !
Fun to watch the Elk. One big guy stood on the very edge of the asphalt roadway...the rest of the herd back 15 or 20 feet...looking first one way - then the other - for oncoming cars. He let at least 10 cars pass by before he leaped across the highway...the entire herd hard on his heels.
Looked every bit as though he was a local and knew the rules of survival.
A bit later, stopping at the local BAY CAFE, Suzie cinfirmed that these Elk are very much a local family...sometimes strolling down the middle of town just daring a car to get in their way.
Please say HELLO to SUZIE, who cooked up a large bowl of Oatmeal, toast and coffee ($6.50) and confirmed that the town of NEWHALEM lives most entirely on the Salmon (CHINOOK / KING) run up the NEHALEM River. Otherwise, local logging has helped keep the town alive...with a population of some 200 folks still hanging on.
Good guidance in bi-sex restrooms.
NEHALEM (US 101) Main Street.
Animal Hospital
NEHALEM River as it flows past the fishing / boat docks fronting the small town.
Look East across the NEHALEM River into the mountains of the "Coast Mountain Range". There are three major mountain ranges beginning with the coast of the Pacific Ocean:
Coast Range
Cascade Range
Rocky Mountain Range
before reaching the Great Plains starting at Denver, Colorado.
The "Ring Of Fire" Subduction Zone...the source of some of the world's greatest and most damaging Earthquakes.... lie just to the West - out in the Pacific Ocean as it passes Oregon -
Please say HELLO to JOHN. At 70 years old, John recently returned to work, having become restless being retired. John was today, in near freezing weather with rain imminent, out biking the Coast Range hills...to keep in shape...and to my pleasure, knowledgeable of the ever-important LYMPHATIC SYSTEM.
Three "Welcome" signs for the town of WHEELER - where I parked overnight last night. There were three such signs on both ends of town, through which US 101 passed as "Main Street".
At the turn of the century - completed in 1913 - a railroad reached the Pacific Ocean, opening up the town of WHEELER to the largest logging operation of the Western United States; in addition, calling home to three of the largest Salmon Canneries in the West. Today, all that infrastructure is gone - but not lost - into history, leaving Wheeling to tourists and massive Salmon runs up the NEHALEM River.
US 101, as it passes downtown of the town of WHEELER, Oregon.
In 1914, WHEELER also supported two gas stations. Above image is one of them...surviving as a private home.
Imaged above is a section of mountain slope. I include this picture as the soil of this bank is not at all unique. It represents the vast majority of the soil from Canada to San Francisco: CLAY !
This clay hold lots of water. When dried out, it is known as "hard pan"...the dickens to diggers of water wells...as I well know from helped dig three such wells. Interesting attribute to this clay soil is that it is prone to "LIQUIFY" when subjected to high RESONANCE, aka, VIBRATION...such as develops when a major earthquake (7 or higher on the Richter Scale) occurs.
i.e., is...or should be...of considerable interest / concern to the West Coast of the United States.
Paradise Cove, located on the outskirts of the town of WHEELER, Oregon, is a "Members Only" Fishing / RV Resort on the banks of the NEHALEM River. I inquired as to costs, etc., but was told that information is controlled by the owners, who happen to be located in LA CONNOR, Washington. I did find out that non-members were provided overnight parking - no electricity - no water - no facilities - for the fee of $35.00 a night.
I swooned, said thank you, and cursed once again at the out-of-control cost to vacation / travel.
Today, I walked from WHEELER...first north to MANZANITA...then back to WHEELER...then South to the beach town of ROCKAWAY. In Rockaway, I stopped in for a POLISH SAUSAGE Sandwich prepared by GRUMPY....at GRUMPY'S CAFE.
Please say HELLO to GRUMPY. Grumpy, from the State of Montana, confided in me that his Polish Sausage is so unique and better than any other, because he travels all the way back home to Montana to refill his supply. Grumpy also confided that he is just about to run out of Polish Sausage, so I was lucky to enjoy such a treat.
Am completing this blog update at the ROCKAWAY BEACH Library. Tonight, will stay in ROCKAWAY BEACH, walking - then driving - to the much larger town of TILLAMOOK, Oregon tomorrow.
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