Cape Lookout, Netarts, Oceanside, & Cape Mears Lighthouse

 

Saturday 7/21/2012

Up the road from Pacific City, we got this view going north. After seeing Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, we continue the Three Cape Scenic Loop.

At about 5 miles north of Pacific City, we came to Whalen Island. There is camping at Whalen Island. There are no hook ups, but the park has a dump station. Camping fees are $12-$15 a night.

Looking north as we cross on the road to Whalen Island.

Whalen Island is surround by water on 3 sides.  Clay Myers State Natural area at Whalen Island is a virtual untouched coastal estuarine ecosystem. It is bounded by the Sand Creek estuary. Wildlife range from salmon, steelhead, shorebirds, deer, otter, and even bear and cougar.

Next stop, Cape Lookout State Park.

We reach an elevation of about 1000 feet.

There are  2-3 trails at Cape Lookout, with dogs allowed on the trails on a leash. The trails take at least 2 hour to complete so we continued our day drive.

Down from Cape lookout was Anderson's Viewpoint.

This is a popular launch site for hang gliders and paragliders. Netarts Bay to the right in the picture.

One of the trails from Cape Lookout goes down to the beach. We could see there was a lot of hikers who made it to the beach.



A memorial for Dick Gammon, a hang glider who passed away from colon cancer at age 61.

Oceanside, OR. is located at the point along the coast, which is a town we visited that day and is told about further down in the blog.

Next stop was Cape Lookout State Park Campground. This campground was completely full and is recommend that campers make reservations at least 3 month prior.

If we ever make it back this way, this would be a campground we would love to stay at.

Up from the campground we made our way to Netarts Bay. The Schooner looked like a nice place to eat at, if you don't pack your own lunch like we do.

We found a parking lot in Netarts Bay to check out and walk around.

 

The clam population has decrease 50 % in Netarts Bay since 1975, so sustainable clam harvesting is recommended. From the informational exhibits after you dig your hole and retrieve your clams, it's important to put the mud back into the holes so that other clams don't suffocate. The Netarts oysters are a delicacy according to the publication of "The Original Highway 101 Mile-by Mile guide To The Oregon Coast".

I saw this Western gull jump into someones boat. I walked down the dock to see what it was doing.

It was stealing the fisherman's chicken leg that was to be used for crabbing!

There were a couple of RV Parks in Netarts Bay. One of them was Big Spruce RV Park.

The sites looked pretty close, but the park was near the bay.

Joe spotted this funky little shop in Netarts, OR.

Lex's Cool Stuff.

You never know what you will find at Lex's Cool Stuff. I found two gently used tops at a very great price. Lex also welcomes you with warm yummy brownie's as you walk into her door. 

Still in Netarts we poked around and found a resort along the bay.

Joe pointed out two signs in front of the resort.

 

Below that sign and down the hill was another sign with the land for sale. Joe said we should buy it and put a RV slab for the Nest. Only question is, "How do you get the Nest down there"? I guess it's not a good idea after all.

I had Joe turn around when I saw this view. We head back to the south to get this picture of Netarts Bay. Cape Lookout is at the top of the mountain in the picture.

As long as we were turned around we wanted to check out the resort area in the cove of  Netarts Bay in this picture.

Another picture of the cove area in Netarts Bay.

We decided this would be a great cove to stay at for swimming for little one. The bay protects the area from the big waves that the ocean has.

The resort area in the cove is on Happy Camp Road. The Resort is called the Netarts Sand Castle.



If interested in the Netarts Sand Castle, here are the prices.



 

Netarts Sand Castle, Netarts, OR.

Just north of Netarts is Oceanside, OR.

We could not find any parking in the small town of Oceanside. As we were driving around the parking lot looking for a spot, I kept hearing the sound of a beating drum. OK I knew I wasn't hearing thing!.

We parking in a non parking spot just to take turns at using the Oceanside Beach public restrooms.

While Joe used the restroom, I peaked over the bushes and got this picture of Oceanside Beach and Three Arch Rocks.

Oceanside has a population of 326 people.

North of Oceanside is the Cape Meares Lighthouse.



A path takes you to the point toward the lighthouse. The cliffs off to the north provide nesting and refuge areas for many sea and shore birds.

Off of the point of Cape Mears, some lovely yellow flowers called me over!

Then I looked beyond the lovely flowers.

Joe pointed out people on the rock next to the shore. I could not see them at all. He has much better eye sight than me. Once I looked through the zoom lens on our camera I could see them.



How did they get out to that rock. We missed something. I knew that the tufted puffins had colony's along the Oregon coast and these are some birds I would have loved to had seen. They are very unusual looking birds. While writing this blog, I read that the Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge is the home to the largest breeding colony of tufted puffins along the coast. Dang, those people on the rock are probable looking at tufted puffins and we missed them!



Cape Mears Lighthouse was first lite in 1890. The lighthouse is inactive and was deactivated in 1963.

As we were looking at the lighthouse, this little squirrel came running up the path with this green ball in it's mouth,

 

A little girl standing nearby saw it and ran toward it. Scaring the squirrel it dropped it's treat and ran into the weeds nearby.

I have never seed this green fruit or seed pod before, though I have seen it since on bushes along the coast. If anyone knows what this is, please let me know. I threw the green seed pod into the weeds hoping the squirrel would find it.

We walk back up the path on the south side of the point for a different perspective. We noticed a small neighborhood in the cove below.

Cove south of Cape Meares

 

 

 

View of Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge off of Oceanside Beach.

We noticed the house sitting above the rocky coast.

Close up of the house on the cliff. I bet that house gets some really nice sunsets, but also some really strong winds during storms!

Cape Meares ended the Three Cape Scenic Loop, as we turned east along the Tillamook Bay toward Tillamook, OR.

 

 

The valley that runs along Hwy. 101 from Tillamook to Neskiwin is a very large dairy community.

Cascade Mountains in the distance.

 

The Air Museum is located two miles south of Tillamook, OR. on Hwy. 101. 

During World War 2, 2 blimps patrolled out of Tillamook to guard against enemy submarines. The two hangers that housed them were the largest wooden clear span structures in the world. One was destroyed by fire, but the other houses the air museum in Tillamook, OR..

After a bit of a drive through several small dairy community we arrive back home in Neskowin. Hope you enjoyed our Three Cape Scenic Loop Drive.