50th Anniversary Trip - Oregon Coast

 Amazing natural beauty abounds along the Oregon coast.  Wildflowers are everywhere. We saw so many ocean creatures that we had previously only seen on tv or at an aquarium. We spent three nights in Oregon. Two of those days we traveled right along the coast on renown scenic Hwy 101. One night we stayed at Fireside Inn in Yachats and one night at Ecola Creek Lodge in Cannon Beach.  Both were outstanding stays where we could just walk out on the beach and explore. 

Applinger Farms - First night in Oregon was at this apple farm. There were only three units but no one else around. 

Sally loved the homey feel of our room

My attempt to make an artsy photo of the apples in the sunset.

Had a little set back today, woke up to low tire pressure and had to go find a Discount Tire.

On the  road again and headed for the coast... spotted this herd of elk 

I had to turn around for this roadside beauty... Sulfur Flower

Sea Lion Cave has been a tourist attraction along Hwy 101 for about a hundred years. The Sea Lions are wild and come and go from the caves at will. 

 

There were only six sea lions in the cave on this beautiful sunny day.

 

Outside the cave was a different story... Multitude of sea lions were out sunning themselves on the rocks.

Another popular spot to soak up some sun rays.

Looking out from a cave entrance that was higher on the cliff, cormorants and gulls  were building nests

Wild and craggy Oregon Coast near Cape Perpetua Lighthouse

Cape Perpetua Lighthouse

Thor's Well at low tide.... 

Cook's Chasm - short walk from Thor's Well.

Slow as a snail ,,, He didn't need to worry about being stepped on since I was the only one on the trail  on this cold drizzling morning

This scene caught my eye... The salt spray tolerant plants

Horsetail

Wild Iris

False Lilly of the Valley

Sea Lions in harbor at Newport

Kurt - check out free range chickens - Gumbo and Jumbo would be right at home.

Sea Anemones are sometimes referred to as Sea Flowers

 

Wonderful tour of Tillamook Creamery -  We got a kick out of the fact that the local high school sports team is the Tillamook Cheese-Makers.

Cheese is cut blocks into 40 lb blocks and sent for aging

 

40 lb block of aged cheese returns for packaging. 

Inspection and weight - notice worker has just sliced off the overweight and it goes into the plastc tub to be used later when packing shredded cheese.

Haystack Rock at low tide at Cannon Beach

Large Ochre Starfish

These Ochre Starfish are sucking the life right out of these California Mussels.

California Mussels

Woody Chiton

Starfish attacking Mussels while sea anemones close their eyes.

Try to spot him.... These tiny shore crabs can hide quite well in the multitude of creatures in the tide pools.

Notice how the Ochre Starfish wraps himself around the mussel and using all those tiny little suction cups under his arms he pulls open the clam to eat the inside.

The base of Haystack Rock is a awesome marine ecosystem and the top is an avian sanctuary which is home to eight species of nesting birds. 

 

Bitter brush is an invasive plant species that has taken over the roadsides in Oregon.