Cape Arago Lighthouse

Occasionally, I may post on something I know very little about. I may post information I get from the internet, but I'll make it clear when I do. Other times I may just post very little about it and not do any other research. I have two goals. The first is to see and do everything. That won't happen, but it's fun to try right? The second is to have the most complete information possible collected on what I have visited.

This post is going toward my first goal. I mentioned the Cape Arago Lighthouse in a post or two before this, so it wouldn't normally warrant its own post. Lighthouses are one of the "would love to find and see them all" things in the world for me. Waterfalls, covered bridges, counties, national parks, state parks, all lists I have to complete.

The reason the Cape Arago Lighthouse doesn't get much of a post is that you can't go there. This is the only private lighthouse on the Oregon Coast (per the "Lighthouses of the Oregon Coast" brochure I picked up from the lovely information kiosk at Sunset Bay Campground). You can, however, get some pretty good views from the road between Sunset Bay and Shore Acres, and of course from the trail between the two that is right on the ocean. I would guess, but can't be sure, that if you were adventurous enough you could get out to the spit and island that show on the pictures below. One theory I have on this is to find a way to the top of the mini-cape (what's the technical term here?) to the north side of Sunset Bay and then work your way down. My other theory would be to climb out to the north side of the bay (described in the day use area post) and keep going. I was pretty confident in my abilities to do this option, but not confident enough to be able to get back. One of my life goals is to never need a Coast Guard helicopter to come rescue me. Anyway, I of course recommend that you do neither of these. That would be dangerous. Looking at a map, it looks like you may be able to walk from Bastendorf Beach County Park (located just north of Sunset Bay and clearly signed) south down the beach around an outcropping to more beach and a good view of the lighthouse, but again I have no idea.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: No fee (because you can't go there!)

Pets: At the viewpoint, yes

Facilities: None at viewpoint, available in nearby Shore Acres or Sunset Bay State Parks
Attractions: Lighthouse

Camping: Available nearby in Shore Acres State Park

Season: Year round

Coordinates: 43.34129,-124.37538 (Unverified), 43.32929,-124.38088 for the viewpoint (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: US Coast Guard (closed to public), Viewpoint - Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (2.6 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (7.8 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 2 (It's hard to rate, but it has to have a low rating due to the inaccessibility)

More Information: There are a number of websites with information about this lighthouse. Do a search on Google for "Cape Arago Lighthouse" and you should find plenty.

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

O'Dysius Hotel

Let's go way back. The year is 2008. The month - November. It's Thanksgiving, to be exact. Tim, the dog and I decide to get away and have a holiday with just the three of us. Okay, the dog didn't have much say in the matter and we had just adopted him two weeks before.

I thought we should take advantage of the long weekend and splurge a bit. Stay at a nice hotel on the coast. Good idea. Wrong idea for "splurging". This hotel, the O'Dysius, is somewhere to stay only if you . . . no, there's no reason to stay here.

Again, I'm feeling a bit lazy tonight, so I'll just re-post what I posted on Google Maps. Mind you, this is the only time I've been treated badly enough to be moved to post a review on Google Maps (and report it to AAA as well).

"My boyfriend and I decided to spend Thanksgiving weekend at the beach. I've always thought the O'Dysius looked quite nice. It is newer and located right on the D River. I couldn't remember whether or not it was right on the beach or if it was slightly off. Don't be deceived by the pictures on their website. We had a fourth floor room in the five story hotel. The view did look over the ocean, but there was a parking lot and another hotel in the way. This was, however, forgivable.
The first night we were there, we went to put some food we had purchased in the fridge. There was leftover food in the fridge that was not removed when the room was cleaned last. The smell of garlic lingered throughout the remaining four days of our visit. This was, however, forgivable.
The hotel was in adequate shape. Overall still new, but clearly not maintained with high standards. The walls were dingy, the couch was worn out and the paint on the deck railing was chipped and pieces were falling on the deck. This was, however, forgivable.
The hotel is clearly geared toward people that are over 65. There is nothing to forgive for this, but being 30 it didn't appeal to me.
The price was higher than everyone else in town and they charged $25 a night for bringing a dog (again more than anyone else). This was, however, forgivable.
The real PROBLEM was that I went to take the dog out at 6am and couldn't get back into the building. I didn't bring my cell phone with me, so I had to go to the D River public phone and call my boyfriend to come let me in. The card reader on the door wasn't working. I would have forgiven this if the response to my concern wasn't "Well, just remember to bring your cell phone." Rather than apologizing and offering to pay for the $15 collect phone calls that I had to make (three to wake him up), they just told me that they have had the same problem and that I should make sure I bring my cell phone. It is completely unacceptable to not invest money in your hotel to fix basic necessities such as these. It is even more unacceptable to not apologize and make your guests create a workaround. I would take a lower quality hotel with friendly customer service (such as the Red Lion in Coos Bay that we stayed at after staying here for half the price) any day. I will definitely never return to the O'Dysius."

Here are the specifics:

Fee: Averaged $131.92 for our stay per night, including tax. Varies greatly depending on room.
Pets: Pets are welcome, the only good thing about this place. Of course, they charge $25/night.

Pool: Yes, small, practically on the highway
Elevators: Yes
Internet: Free wireless
Parking: Free, some covered, some uncovered
Best Season: Summer for outdoor activities, winter for storm watching

Address: 120 NW Inlet Ave - Lincoln City, OR‎ 97367
Nearest town: Lincoln City, Oregon (located in town)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Newport, Oregon (Actually just under 10,000 per census, but probably higher and has the amenities of a 10,000+ city)

County: Lincoln, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 0 for service, 3 for amenities, 1 for view, 1 for quality - average 1

More Information: O'Dysius Hotel

My Current Location: Work, Portland, Oregon

Cape Arago State Park

It's time for a short post.

Pretty. Visit. Not to be missed.

We spent maybe 20 minutes here, what do you want from me?

We walked out to the point on the north side of the park, where there is a trail down to the beach (a steep trail, supposedly to tide pools). We walked to the south side of the park where there is a built up viewpoint of more beautiful Oregon Coast. The Oregon Coast trail (described in the Sunset Bay and Shore Acres posts) runs through this park.

I don't quite get the reason behind making this a separate park. These three state parks may be the most concentrated Oregon State Parks in the entire state. Three parks, 3 miles of road.

Oh, we saw a vulture, too. This was probably the highlight.

Again, it's worth the visit, but unless I missed something, there isn't much more than a couple viewpoints.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: No fee

Pets: Welcome on leash

Facilities: Flush toilets, picnic tables
Attractions: Trails, ocean views and access, wildlife viewing

Camping: No, but available nearby in Shore Acres State Park

Season: Year round

Coordinates: 43.306782, -124.397894 (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (5.8 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (10.9 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 3.5

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Cape Arago

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Shore Acres State Park

I'm generally no fan of paying money to go see a garden. For that matter, I'm not usually a fan of spending time to go see a garden. I'm usually somewhere between underwhelmed and bored out of my mind. Maybe this is just a false preconception I have had or it may be true, but this certainly does not hold true for Shore Acres. Oh by the way . . . there are some of the most picturesque ocean vistas on the Oregon Coast right here in the park as well. Bonus!

Shore Acres State Park is a day use area just south of Sunset Bay State Park (see posts) and just north of Cape Arago State park (see post yet to come). As I'm posting this, I'm going through the state's park website and realizing that I'm a little embarrassed how few state parks (and waysides, recreation areas, etc.) I haven't been to. I know this is a side note, but for someone trying to get to every county in the United States, it seems I would do a little more exploration in my own state. Oh well, add another list of things I need to do.

Back to the point at hand. We first entered Shore Acres by trail from the Sunset Bay day use area. I highly recommend taking this trail. It follows the road (roughly) from Sunset Bay to Shore Acres, but does it much closer to the coastline. Normally I wouldn't take a trail that goes somewhere I can go by car. This isn't because I'm lazy, but because I know there are so many trails out there that I will never have enough time to take that go somewhere I can't get by car. I had a very pleasant shift in my outlook on this theory when I realized all the things I miss. We took the trail up to Shore Acres and walked the road (mostly) back. In doing so, I realized how much would have been missed if we had driven to the park. We saw stunning ocean vistas (this trip has been plagued with these), we saw wildlife that I don't see everyday from my condo window (there usually aren't elephant seals on the Stadium Freeway), we saw a trail that had decided it would rather be on the ocean floor than on the cliff we were walking (thank you to the nice people at the Oregon State Parks that moved the trail so that we didn't fall right off), we saw crazy natives (wait, that was Jason and Tim being weird . . . disregard this one). The pictures I took would take up all the room I have left in storage for this blog.

The trail will be steep and moderately difficult for a short time as it climbs up the cliff out of Sunset Bay. Don't let this discourage you. The trail is pleasant and all but easy the rest of the way into Shore Acres. You won't notice that you've walked for two miles because you stop every two minutes to take in the view or even extend your trip with one of the many side trails leading to something more than worth it. This trail is just a small portion of the Oregon Coast Trail leading from (correct me if I'm wrong) the Washington to the California border. It definitely makes me want to hike more of this trail, maybe even building up to a hike of the entire trail. That will never happen . . .

I started by mentioning gardens, didn't I? Well, on this visit to the park, we had a dog with us (it wasn't me, it was one of my friends) and dogs are not welcome in Shore Acres park outside of the parking lot. Since we were breaking the law enough already, we didn't really feel going into the gardens was something we were going to get away with. I hate going against rules as it is and wanted out the park quickly even though I was enjoying the area as much as I was. I do find it incredibly annoying that a portion of the Oregon Coast Trail does not allow dogs on it. I don't know if there is any kind of exception for those travelling through the park and not stopping (I have a feeling you would be required to walk the road instead), but it seems like someone may want to walk the whole trail with their dog. Don't allow dogs in the garden, fine. I more than understand that, but on the trail? No no. Bad.

So, as I mentioned, we didn't go to the gardens on this trip (although we did walk right past the gate to get a picture of all of us on the . . . what was it Temple? The "crazy" tree?). If you do enter the park via this trail, I would recommend taking the trail that is near the entrance of the parking lot back. This will cut a lot of time off your trek back. Of course I would also recommend making the whole loop up to Cape Arago State Park and back (although I did not do this, I can't imagine it not being worth it). End of visit number one to Shore Acres.

Begin visit number two. We decided to drive up to the park and further to Cape Arago the next day. Again, well worth it. We spent a decent amount of time in the gardens. The entire park was purchased by the state for $29,000 from the Simpson family (of Simpson Lumber fame) in 1942. The park was briefly used as a lookout during World War II. Evidence of this exists on the "Pack Trail". Although we did not go on this trail, there is a concrete bunker that still exists from when the area was used for this purpose. The estate was a residence, which is still evident. The concrete foundation of what used to be tennis courts on the bluff overlooking the ocean still exists along the trail up to the park. I can't say I know much about the history of the gardens, since the interpretive center was closed, but I do believe they are a hold over (on some level) from when it was the Simpson estate. The gardens include oriental and rose gardens as well as a gazebo which clearly accomodates special events such as weddings. The gardens are quite large (seven acres). We were there on a late Sunday afternoon and had the gardens almost to ourselves aside from a couple other visitors and a caretaker carefully tending to the flowers and other plant life. During the Christmas season, the gardens are decorated with more than 250,000 lights. I'm sure it is quite busy during this time, but I still intend to make a point of visiting to see the lights.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: $3 per vehicle, waived if you have a current valid camping pass

Pets: Allowed only in vehicles

Facilities: Flush toilets, picnic tables, areas for group events (weddings, etc.), viewing shelter, gift shop
Attractions: Trails, ocean views and access, interpretive center/information, wildlife viewing

Camping: No, but available nearby in Shore Acres State Park

Season: Year round, Thanksgiving through New Years for viewing lights

Coordinates: 43.3233, -124.3853 (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (4.1 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (9.2 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 5

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Shore Acres

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Sunset Bay State Park Campground

Here's my take on the campground at Sunset Bay. In my last post, I fawned over the day use area. Here, I won't do the same. The campground is very nice, the volunteers were friendly, the bathrooms were clean, there was plenty of hot water for the showers (although the only loop with no showers was our loop, a tent loop. Why does the RV loop need showers?), there were few bugs (amazingly few bugs, thank you bats!), the sites were well laid out, the . . . okay, I'm fawning a bit. The campground is great, but I don't think I'll stay there again. There are just too many beautiful Oregon State Park campgrounds on the coast. While I may look past a few minor unpleasantries about say, a restaurant (that I can go to over and over in a year), I want a place that I at least think there is a chance for a perfect vacation when I only go camping once or maybe twice a year. That was an incredibly convoluted sentence. Take a look at my "Le Happy" entry. The service is poor, but the food makes it worth it. I wouldn't take a week out of my life to go to Le Happy because I know it won't be perfect, but I will take a night to go there. In this case, I'll try one of the other great campgrounds on the Oregon Coast and just make Sunset Bay a day trip.

The reason? The weather. I could be horribly wrong, but I have an odd feeling that you don't stand a good chance at hitting good weather. While the weather was 90+ degrees in the valley and 70-80 in Coos Bay and just a few miles inland, it was maybe (I'm being generous) 60 degrees at Sunset Bay. When the weather on the beach just a few miles north was sunny and beautiful, it was misting and damp at the campground. Yes, I know all about the inversion that hits Oregon (hot hot hot in the valley and cloudy at the coast). This didn't seem to be what was going on though. After a short 10 minute drive to Coos Bay, the small cloud bank that had attached itself to Cape Arago was incredibly apparent. No clouds north, no clouds south, no clouds east and I couldn't tell for sure, but probably no clouds even to the west. The clouds (and dampness that really wanted to make everything we brought wet) look like they have a special kind of love affair with the cape. So I, for one, will take the 50% chance of having great weather when camping in many of the other coastal campgrounds over the campground that has a 15% chance. I don't know, maybe it's actually the other way around, but this is my take on it.

A couple of other good notes. On my first day there, I saw a rabbit, two bats and a raccoon. The birds are plentiful and the only bugs were bees (bring something to keep them away). The bats may have scared the hell out of me when I was just in the bathroom brushing my teeth, but it's always nice to see wildlife you don't see all the time and they did a great job of keeping the bugs down (I believe the statistic is something like they eat six times their body weight in bugs each night).

One thing I have to say to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is get your act together! In reserving the campsites online, we were told that each of the sites we reserved could only hold one small tent. We could easily have fit four decent sized tents in each of the sites we reserved. Since we thought we wouldn't be able to fit many tents, we reserved three sites when we really only needed two for our group. In giving back one site, we confused the living daylights out of the ranger woman that "helped" us. Since she just randomly assigned my car to a site without letting us look at where we'd want it, she had to move it and the extra cars and and and and and . . . well and all hell broke loose. An easy task became complicated because they insist on knowing which car is in which site rather than just assigning a group a range of sites (i.e. B-9 & B-11), they felt the need to know specifics that made no difference. In the morning, a ranger came to our site telling us that we had to pay for an extra car in one site and wondering where the extra car was in the other site. Could they not put those two things together to come to a reasonable conclusion of, oh, I don't know? It's right there in the next site under the same reservation??

I'm done with my rant. I don't hold this against this park in particular, I'm sure this is more of a statewide problem. I know new software costs money, but common sense shouldn't.

There. Now I'm done.

Really, though. It's a good place. If you don't mind dampness (it was dry and beautiful our last day, which made the whole trip wonderful), go ahead and stay here.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: $16-20 per night per site (depending on amenities - electricity and full hookup) $5 per night for an extra vehicle (2 vehicles per site maximum)

Pets: Pets are welcome on leash

Facilities: Flush toilets, showers, electricity and full hookup available, yurts, picnic tables, fire pits, firewood for sale
Attractions: Beach access, trails, creek (see day use area for additional information)
Reservations: Available (recommended on busy summer weekends)

Season: Year round (of course depends on the weather)

Coordinates: 43.330861, -124.370558 (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (2.7 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (7.8 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 4.5 (yes, this good - I expect 5-5.5 from my coastal state parks though)

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Sunset Bay

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Sunset Bay Day Use Area

I have to break Sunset Bay into two posts, primarily because of the sheer beauty of the area, but also because I'd like to keep the accommodations separate from the actual scenery and activities. So, here is my take on the Sunset Bay State Park day use area.

It's beautiful.

I suppose I should write more. It's the Oregon Coast, but it's still remarkable even when compared to the other numerous state parks along the coast. It is one of the most beautiful areas on the coast. While it is popular, you still feel isolated from the rest of the world. Even with the 50 or so other people there when we sat on the beach to watch the sunset, I still felt like we were the only ones there. There's something about the frame the rocky points on either side of the beach create that focuses your attention on the ocean and not on the people around you. Of course there's a reason they call it Sunset Bay - that frame works perfectly to give a frequently amazing sunset some substance. Every picture you take will be a good one. Look around at sites that have any pictures of Oregon and I bet you find quite a few of Sunset Bay.

Okay, so we were there five nights and were only able to view a sunset once. The first four days and nights were almost completely socked in with fog that Cape Arago just refused to let go of. A drive of not more than 10 minutes would take us to temperatures in the 70s and 80s, but the damp Sunset Bay didn't get out of the 50s . . . maybe the low 60s. I honestly can't say if this is common or if it was just our luck, but if you get to the beach with any glimpse of the sunset, it will be a good one. Our sunset was not the most colorful the bay has ever seen, but it was still well worth it.

The highlight of the area was not, however, the sunset. The tide pools were what made this trip most worth it for me. I went out to climb on the rocks and look at the tide pools three times. The best viewing for me was in the morning with the tide at about a +2 and fog thick enough to not be able to see the beach from the rocky point we climbed out to on the north side of the bay. The amount of sea life in these pools made the trek out well worth it. We also went out after dark (don't tell the rangers - this day use area closes at 9pm. Don't get me started on this. You close a place called "Sunset Bay" at 9pm??). During this visit, we were able to see more of the crabs and other non-vegetation life. The crabs were not so quick to scurry away from our flashlights as they were from seeing us walk up to them in the daylight. The rocks are treacherous to walk on in the best of conditions, however, and doing so at night did not prove easy. Tim fell in the water and the rest of us got muddy in one way or another. We also went out at the lowest tide when we were there, about -2. This tide was actually too low, however. The best tide pools are up higher and with the water as low as it was, we tended to stay closer to the water's edge. There wasn't much here, but getting up early in the morning and seeing the birds hunting for food, the fishermen beginning their morning trip and the people start to come out to see the sights was well worth it. We climbed out to the north point and watched the ocean beat against the rocks for at least a half hour. I could have done it all day, but there was plenty more to be done and the tide wouldn't have allowed for us to stay out there all day.

We saw pelicans, of course plenty of seagulls and other birds I couldn't begin to name. Big Creek pours into the ocean at Sunset Bay, which makes for an even better setting. I recommend a walk out to the edge of the sand, or for the more adventurous explorers, a climb on any accessible rocks. Of course, be careful. I would have ventured further, but I didn't want to not be able to find a way back down. I definitely do not ever want to be able to say I have been saved by a Coast Guard helicopter. One day, however, I will find a way out to the sand spit that goes out to what would be an island in high tide so I can get a good look at that Cape Arago Lighthouse (more on that later).

Here are the specifics:

Fee: No fee for the day use area

Pets: Pets are welcome on leash

Facilities: Flush toilets, picnic tables, areas for group events (weddings, etc.), volleyball courts, horseshoe pits available

Camping: Yes (see camping entry, to come)

Season: Year round

Coordinates: 43.332861, -124.373558 (Unverified)

Governmental Agency Land: Oregon State Parks & Recreation

Nearest town: Charleston, Oregon (2.7 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Coos Bay, Oregon (7.8 miles)

County: Coos County, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 5.5

More Information: Oregon State Parks - Sunset Bay

My Current Location: Home - Portland, Oregon

Let's Go Local

Well, local to me at least . . .

This is a travel blog, but I feel that even something across the street is travel. If not to me, it probably is to you. Either way, travel is really about taking something in. It's about the culture and people, the man-made and natural sights and just about experiencing what the world has to offer.

Look at me, I'm justifying posting something to my own blog. It's mine. I'm posting it. Get over it. There, that's better.

Le Happy has become, without a doubt, my favorite restaurant within 2 blocks of my house. That doesn't sound like much of a rave, but living in the Pearl District of Portland there are 9 restaurants within two blocks. I'd also go so far as to call Le Happy one of my favorite restaurants in Portland. Since my favorite restaurants are in Portland, I suppose that makes it one of my favorites in the world. Okay, enough of the rambling.

Le Happy bills itself as a crêperie restaurant and bar. I don't have any experience with the place as a bar in terms of "whoo hoo, it's 1am and I'm at the bar," but I do have experience with the bar as a place that provides me with alcoholic beverages. They're tasty. Well, the prickly pear margarita is tasty. This is my favorite drink and it's hard to find anywhere else, so that's all I have when I go there. The people I've been there with seem to like the other drinks though. Good enough for me.

The menu is simple. What do you want in your crêpe? Sure, they come up with fancy (or not so fancy - e.g. "Le Trash Blanc") names for some of their favorite options, but these are really just suggestions. The options are, while statistically calculable, immeasurable. If your crêpe doesn't taste good, it's your fault. After all, they make it right, it must be that you ordered the wrong combination. The food is consistently good.

Crêpes may be technically French, but this place is all Portland. It's liberal, it's quirky, it's unique, it's just plain . . . bizarre. Maybe it's the disco ball in the middle of the room. The waitstaff is quintessentially Portland as well. Unfortunately, this isn't necessarily a good thing. Portlanders are in their own world. The trend here has not been buc`ked. Be prepared to wait a bit. Be prepared to not be quite sure if you're not exactly welcome. After a number of visits to Le Happy, all I can tell you is that you are welcome there. It's how everyone is treated. The service will usually be slow, but you'll get the food. It does almost seem like the place knows it has good food and no matter how the service is, you'll still come back. They're right. Luckily the service isn't deporable. It's just tolerable, and I can handle that.

Oh, I almost forgot! This is the only place that I consistenly order dessert. Do it. You know you want to. Do I really have to say why? It's crêpes. It's not too rich, it's not too sweet. It is, as Goldilocks would say, just right.

Here are the specifics:

Price: Reasonably priced. As little as $4 for an entree, up to $13.
Cuisine: Crêpes
Reservations: Generally, no. The place is small so be there at an off time or be prepared to wait.
Pets: With the outside seating, I would assume so.

Parking: Street only

Address: 1011 NW 16th Ave - Portland, Oregon
Nearest town: Portland, Oregon (Located in Pearl District of Portland)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Portland, Oregon

County: Multnomah, Oregon

My rating (out of 6): 3 for service, 5.5 for food, 5.5 for decor, 4 for view - average 5

More Information: Le Happy

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

From Le Happy's website. I could go for the two block walk to take my own picture, but I'm feeling lazy.

Hurricane Ridge

This post is more to show a picture Tim took, since I actually really like it. Don't tell him, it's best that he continues to think that I don't like most things he does. It's just better that way, I promise.

I know there are a million pictures of flowers out there, but I like this one.

This is somewhat representative of the area, though. There were a number of wildflowers up near the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center in Olympic National Park. The view is probably what attracts most people, though. Having a great view seems to be the general theme of the Olympic Peninsula. The steepness of the mountains protruding right from the surrounding lowlands and water seems to make for some great places to take a picture or two. The Olympics are certainly nothing in comparison to the Cascades . . . at least on paper. The tallest peak in Olympic National Park only reaches 7,980 feet, puny by comparison to Mt. Rainier at 14,441. The prominence (the height of the mountain over the surrounding area) of Mt. Olympus is 7,838 feet, compare this to the 7,706 foot prominence of Mt. Hood. This is what makes the mountains of the area just as impressive. They're tall compared to where you're standing. Unless, of course, if where you are standing is Hurricane Ridge. The elevation of Hurricane Ridge is approximately 5,200 feet. All of this means smaller glaciers and (I would think) less snow overall than the Cascades, but other than that it still seems impressive.

The view from Hurricane Ridge is interesting. When I've had a good view of the Olympics from the other side of the sound (either Whidbey Island or Seattle), they always looked tall and jagged. From Hurricane Ridge, you feel like you're looking right into a rugged but relatively flat landscape. Sure, the ridges are steep and quite the odd formation of land, but overall everything doesn't seem much higher or lower than where you are standing. Mt. Olympus is barely distinguishable from the other peaks in the range. None of this detracts from the overall beauty of the area, it just makes it unique. When you're up here, you feel like you're in a slightly different world. It's alpine, it's open, but it's still the Pacific Northwest. Even on a perfectly clear, warm day you can still tell that it rains. There are wildflowers and the green of a Washington forest. There was even still a pile of snow in the parking lot (on July 3rd), clearly from plowing, but still late in the year for 5,200 feet above sea level. Don't hold me to it, but I would guess that the ridge is poised at least partially in the rain shadow. The Hoh Rain Forest on the southwest side of the park gets around 12 feet of rain a year. I'm sure that number is a lot higher than Hurricane Ridge.

The point . . . what was the point? I don't remember. We didn't spend much time here because of the dog, but it was clear that there is a lot to do. Don't bring your dog and you'll be able to do one of the many hikes in the area. Next time though for us. For now, a few pictures is enough for me.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: $15 or a National Parks Pass

Pets: Pets are welcome in the parking lots, but not allowed on trails.

Facilities: Flush toilets and picnic tables available.

Camping: In the park, yes

Season: Year round, check for conditions out of summer

Coordinates: 47.969123, -123.498259 (Unverified) (Google shows a through road to Elwha, from what I've seen this is a trail and not a road - keep this in mind when looking up directions online)

Governmental Agency Land: Olympic National Park

Nearest town: Port Angeles, Washington (18 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Silverdale, Washington (18 miles)

County: Clallam, Washington

My rating (out of 6): 3.5

More Information: Olympic National Park

Cites: Elevation information from Wikipedia

My Current Location: Work, Portland, Oregon

Mount Walker

After having about two days' worth of energy drained out of us in just one day from walking our crazy dog amongst other dogs out to Cape Flattery, we decided that a day of relative rest would be welcomed. For me, this means sitting in the car for hours. After going to Dungeness and eating at The 3 Crabs, we headed out to our only other main destination of the day - the Mount Walker Viewpoint.

Nothing is ever quick and easy when I'm involved. This may be obvious from the length of some of these posts, it may be obvious because you know me, or it may be news to you. In this case, I didn't realize quite how far the viewpoint was from Dungeness (where we ate lunch) nor did I realize that there would be few options for gas between the two points or anywhere close to Mt. Walker for that matter. We had more than a quarter tank, so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal. After 4 1/2 miles uphill (on a steep incline) with the four wheel drive and air conditioning on, the quarter tank quickly disappeared. Luckily this time it worked out fine (unlike the last July 4th weekend trip that included a couple hours on the side of I-5 just north of the Washington/Oregon border). Point of the story, make sure you have plenty of gas whenever you venture into the forest so that you can focus on things like the view at the top rather than whether or not you'll be able to make it to the next gas station.

The viewpoint from Mt. Walker would have been much more impressive had it not been for everything else we saw up to this point. It was still well worth the drive. The view is nearly 360 degrees between two separate viewpoints on the north and south sides of the mountain. Do the north side first and save the best for last. The north side looks toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Peninsula. The south side has views of Mt. Rainier, the Puget Sound and even a pretty clear view of all of downtown Seattle. I don't have pictures to show this due to the clouds and (probably) smog, but it was there. I have a feeling the number of days with perfect conditions for seeing great views are very limited. This is the Pacific Northwest afterall. Even days that are beautiful typically have some haze.

The drive up is steep, gravel, washboarded and narrow. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that doesn't feel comfortable driving in these conditions, although I would think any car with the right driver would be just fine. Just make sure you have gas. You could also park at the bottom and hike your way up (there is a trail off the road). I, for one, don't like walking when the car can take me there. I'd rather save my energy for walking when it will get me somewhere the car won't.

Here are the specifics:
Fee: None
Pets: Pets are welcome.
Facilities: Vault toilets and picnic tables available.
Camping: No
Season: Year round, but pick a sunny day for best views
Coordinates: 47.788435,-122.903398 (Unverified)
Governmental Agency Land: Olympic National Forest
Nearest town: Quilcene, Washington (9.6 miles)
Nearest 10,000+ city: Silverdale, Washington (49.7 miles)
County: Jefferson, Washington
My rating (out of 6): 4
More Information: Olympic National Forest

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

View to the south (Mt. Rainier & Seattle)


View to the north (Strait of Juan de Fuca, Olympic Peninsula)

A Note About Research

This is really more of a note for me than anything, but in writing my "Mt. Walker" entry, I stumbled across this page - Points of Interest in Olympic National Forest. I did quite a bit of research for our relatively short three night trip to the Olympic Peninsula. I didn't find this page then, I find it now. I am now wondering if there is a similar page for all national forests, but from what I've seen in the past, there is little consistency between websites for the national forests. I'll keep looking, though.

The only reason that this caught my eye was the entry of "High Steel Bridge". To some, this may sound benign, but I love architecture both old and new. Maybe next time.

Here are the specifics:

None!

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

A Deeper Warning?

LaPush, Washington. Quileute Nation.

Is this really a problem or is there a metaphor here that I’m missing?

Maybe you should be careful because the bridge of your life is unsafe.

Whatever the case, I don’t recommend crossing this bridge even in the best of conditions.

LaPush is a cute, albeit depressed appearing little town. The setting is spectacular. Remote. I felt bad being a tourist in this tiny town. Even though I don’t think I did anything to disturb it, there are just some places where you feel like “another one of those damn tourists”. It’s worth the trip just to see the scenery if only for a minute, though, if you are willing to disturb the place. However, I have a feeling that if you were to ask around you’d be welcomed warmly.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: None
Pets: Not really applicable, but I suppose they may be welcome.
Facilities: None.
Camping: No
Season: Year round.
Coordinates: 47.915003, -124.63540 (Unverified)
Governmental Agency Land: Possibly private property on Quiletue Tribal Land
Nearest town: La Push, Washington (0.5 miles)
Nearest 10,000+ city: Port Angeles, Washington (68 miles)
County: Clallam, Washington
My rating (out of 6): 4.5, although not sure what I’m rating here.
More Information: Quileute Nation

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

3 Crabs Restaurant

In researching for our visit to the Olympic Peninsula, I stumbled across someone's note that stated something along the lines of 3 Crabs being the place to eat in the area. For some reason this stuck in my head and we went there. Who knows, this could have been something planted somewhere on the internet by the owners of the restaurant itself, but I'm always up for trying something new. That hasn't always been true, but I've been taught that when you're in a new town, you try the local fare (thanks, Victoria!). I've enjoyed this new way of travel . . . a lot.

When entering the restaurant, I questioned whether or not it would be too fancy for us based on the settings on the table. Trying to be a fancy restaurant for the older crowd is not what I would expect from a restaurant in a tiny town on what is essentially the beach. I was a little worried at this point and then we were asked if we had reservations. This question always bothers me since if you have reservations, you would mention it. If you don't, you just feel like an idiot for trying to get into a restaurant that (as I found out later) recommends that you have reservations. It isn't an appropriate question for a place that isn't even 25% full. I felt a bit out of place there as it was just the two of us dining with several families, but it wasn't too bad.

When we were seated, we were ignored for a bit (a little longer than I think is acceptable). When we were helped (by a woman in a t-shirt and jeans - not fitting to the decor), she noticed a bug on our table, took it, excused herself and came back. She explained that this had never happened before, which is probably true. She was friendly enough, but left our drinks sitting on the counter until she realized we didn't have anything to drink when our food came out. The service was certainly fast enough.

The food was pretty good. Tim had the halibut sandwich with coleslaw and seemed to like it a lot. I had the crab cake sandwich and potato salad. Be warned that the potato salad has olives in it (I know, I know, most people would probably love that but some of us don't . . . right Charlotte?). The crab cake sandwich didn't have the best sauce on it, but the crab cake itself was quite good.

The thing to note about this restaurant is that it is situated on a piece of property right on Dungeness Bay. The view from the window seats in the restaurant? The parking lot. Sure, you can see the lighthouse out on the spit (next time we won't bring the dog and we'll walk out to it). Sure, you can see the bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. You're just overlooking a gravel parking lot and cars to see it. Not much that can be done about it now, but who decided to build the building back so far? We weren't even in a window seat (even though the host told us we would be), so it didn't matter much. We took some time when we were done with lunch to let the dog out of the car to play around on the beach a bit. That's another thing this place should have, though, clearly marked beach access at least for customers. Certainly the appeal of a restaurant like this lies in two things - its fresh seafood (I'm not exactly an expert on food, so who knows if it was or not) and its location. When most of the division between the . . . parking lot (I can barely say it) . . . and the beach is marked "Stay off the rocks and flower beds", it certainly isn't inviting to take a walk on the beach when you're done with your meal. Maybe the reasoning for this is to keep people that haven't been to the restaurant off of their beach. Maybe the reasoning is that they don't even want those that have been to the restaurant on their beach. Who knows, but it should be a welcoming dessert. I know the desserts on the menu weren't. They seemed to consist of just over-fluffed pies that were $32 each. Sure, $4 a slice sounds reasonable, but when you aren't able to buy a whole pie for a lower price, it just sounds ridiculous.

Here are the specifics:

Price: Ranging from about $10 for a sandwich to $20 for a steak or seafood meal.
Cuisine: Seafood
Reservations: "Recommended"
Pets: No outside seating, so no pets.

Parking: Abundant and abundant with gravel

Address: 113 Crabs Rd - Sequim, WA (in the community of Dungeness)
Nearest town: Dungeness, Sequim, Washington (0-5.2 miles)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Port Angeles, Washington (19 miles)

County: Clallam, Washington

My rating (out of 6): 3 for service, 4 for food, 2 for decor, 4 for view - average 3

More Information: 3 Crabs

My Current Location: Home, Portland, Oregon

View from beach in front of 3 Crabs Restaurant (looking out over Dungeness Bay toward spit and lighthouse)

Red Lion Hotel - Port Angeles

I wanted out of the condo and out of the city. I always do. I've used up all of Tim's vacation in planning out the entire year with camping and a number of other trips. I've always wanted to spend some time on the Olympic Peninsula, so I thought I would take advantage of the three day weekend. I looked around and figured that Port Angeles would be the best central point for doing everything I wanted to do. I think I was right.

In doing my usual research for where to stay, I found that Port Angeles is not brimming with hotel rooms on the water, as you might expect. I'm sure there are some out of town a bit, but I couldn't find any online other than the Red Lion and I didn't see any when driving through the town. It is important to point out that I have an aversion to hotel chains I haven't heard of, so those are usually removed from the list of possibilities right from the beginning (I don't remember seeing any of those on the water either). I also don't usually look at hotels in the national parks, since I assume they charge more and may also be run down (I'm sure I'm often wrong and missing out here). I liked the idea of staying in a larger city and on the water, so I booked the room at the Red Lion.

I ended up being pleasantly surprised by a few things and a little disappointed by a few others. The first impression was, as always, at the front desk where the woman helping me was very friendly and personable (even if the lobby seemed a little unprofessional - loud music clearly meant for the workers and she was singing along while she helped me). I had searched for information regarding the hotel's pet policy since we were bringing along our 75 pound German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix, but couldn't find it. I made a note that we were bringing him and for them to let me know if this was a problem. I later found that the pet policy was right on their website, I just missed the link (it's under "amenities" then the pet policy link). I was told that the fee would be $20 per night, but it was waived if we were a Red Lion club member.

Entering the hotel and then our room, it was clear that it was older. The place was dated (as I've found most Red Lions to be), but for the most part they had repainted or replaced what was needed. The shower was in need of a re-grouting and the fan was rusted out, but other than that everything was in very nice shape and was clean. Each room seemed to have a private deck the width of the room (in our case looking out on the harbor). I was instantly impressed and amazed by the view. Of course it was a beautiful weekend weather-wise, so that made it all the better. The room looked right out at the spit, a freighter anchored in the harbor, the city's pier and the ferries that come and go to Victoria, British Columbia. I was quite happy with my choice of hotel.

The next morning, I was a little less impressed with my choice of hotel when I realized that we had gone through the night without air conditioning and the room was pretty warm. I didn't bother saying anything though, since it was right on the water and the air could cool the room on its own just fine. I also forgot to mention it when I checked out, so I can't say that they wouldn't have come right out and fixed it. When we came back from touring around the area, our keys didn't work. Since it was both of our keys, I have to assume that it was programmed wrong the first time. Mistakes happen, no big deal. I went up to the front desk and explained that they weren't working. The woman that helped me this time was rude and didn't apologize for the mistake. She acted like it happened all the time and almost seemed put out by me for asking to be let back into my room. This was the only negative of the experience here.

That night (July 4th), once everyone started camping out along the path in front of the hotel, I realized that we were going to be in perfect position for the fireworks show put on by the community. This was a complete surprise; I did not book the hotel room with any intention of seeing fireworks (this may explain the somewhat high fee, although the view, location and being the only place in town that could offer these things may make it this price all summer). The show was not bad at all for a town of 18,000 people. We very much enjoyed it.

All in all, this is a very nice hotel. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone overly picky about service or quality, but if you want a place to stay with a beautiful view right in the heart of Port Angeles, I definitely recommend it.

Here are the specifics:

Fee: Averaged $175.10 for our stay per night, plus 10.4% tax
Pets: Pets are welcome. The fee is $20 per night, which is waived if you are a member of their rewards club.

Pool: Yes (in the middle of the parking lot)
Elevators: No (2 story building)
Internet: Free wireless - decent quality
Parking: Free, uncovered
Best Season: Summer for outdoor activities

Address: 221 N. Lincoln - Port Angeles, WA 98362
Nearest town: Port Angeles, Washington (located downtown)

Nearest 10,000+ city: Port Angeles, Washington (located downtown)

County: Clallam, Washington

My rating (out of 6): 2 for service, 3 for amenities, 5 for view - average 3.5

More Information: Red Lion Hotels

My Current Location: Work, Portland, Oregon

City Pier from hotel room - slightly foggy morning


Boats in the harbor from hotel room


View from hotel room at night

Cape Flattery

Here is where I introduce the fact that we have a dog. A crazy one. He's a thousand times better than he was when we adopted him 7 1/2 months ago, but still crazy. We felt he needed a home and that we had a connection with him even though we knew he'd turn our lives upside down. Out of all of his neuroses that he came with, we have him down to just two that make our lives a little more difficult. The first is that he can't be left home alone, the second is that he can't be out in public. This makes the whole travel thing a little more difficult, but luckily there's daycare. Not this time though.

As part of our Port Angeles/Olympic Peninsula trip, I wanted to go out to the "most northwestern point" in the contiguous United States. This point is said to be Cape Flattery, Washington. The hike is 3/4 miles long (each way) and one of the best hikes I have been on in a long time. Even after the dog threw his fit about seeing other dogs about 20 times and bit me once in the process (he didn't know my finger was there), I'd still do it again. The hike itself it worth it. Just the work the (I'm assuming) Makah Tribe put into building this trail is beautiful. The boardwalks, the properly placed tree stumps, the well-maintained rest of the trail, all of it is great. It's a very leisurely walk (ignore their warnings about it being "moderate" or "not advised for those with weak ankles, knees or backs" - this is probably a fair warning that I don't actually want you to ignore, but in terms of trail ratings it really should get an easy). There are a couple observation decks on the way out to the end, where the true beauty of the area is found. The water at the tip of the cape where the Pacific Ocean meets the Strait of Juan de Fuca is the bluest I have ever seen in the Northwest. The rocks are amazing formations that rival even the Oregon Coast. The viewpoint looks right out at what I believe to be Tatoosh Island with its lighthouse marking the entry to the strait. The weather here is absolutely perfect. Okay, that last one may have just been luck on our part. This is one of the rainiest places in the country and we happen to be there on a day that you can see for miles with perfectly blue sky. Maybe this is also the reason for the beautiful blue water, but it doesn't take away from the rest of it. I can't imagine the hike not being worth it in any weather condition, but who knows.

We're not done with our trip yet, but I would bet that this will remain the highlight of it. If you're in the area, I would recommend making this the top priority if you aren't taking the time to hike deep into the Olympic National Park, where there may quite possibly be better beaches or better sights on the top of a mountain or deep in a valley that we were not able to go with the dog. It also gets one of those bizarre things checked off my list - visit the most northwestern point of the contiguous United States. Done. If you like this type of thing, there's also the most western zip code in the contiguous United States (La Push, Washington) and the most western populated place in the contiguous United States (Ozette, Washington). Just be warned that to my knowledge, there isn't a short path between these three locations, even though they are relatively close together. We attempted to follow our navigation system's instructions from Cape Flattery to Ozette, and ran into a logging gate halfway down a road that nature did not want to be a road. This is to say that it was not often used, dirt and very overgrown. It may be advised to go back to the main road between each location you try to reach in this area.

Here are the specifics:
Fee: There is a $10 recreation pass that is necessary for parking on the Makah Tribal land. This pass can be purchased at a number of places in Neah Bay. See signs upon entry to Neah Bay.
Pets: Pets are welcome.
Facilities: Vault toilets are available at the parking lot to Cape Flattery. Picnic tables available. Pack out your garbage.
Camping: No
Season: Year round, but pick a sunny day for best views
Coordinates: 48.383118, -124.714411 (Unverified - I forgot to do this!)
Governmental Agency Land: Makah Indian Tribe
Nearest town: Neah Bay, Washington (7.9 miles)
Nearest 10,000+ city: Port Angeles, Washington (74 miles)
County: Clallam, Washington
My rating (out of 6): 5.5
More Information: Makah Tribe

My Current Location: Red Lion Hotel, Port Angeles, Washington

Inaugural Posts

Ah, inaugural posts of a blog. For some blogs, this would be the first and last post. Hopefully this isn't true of this one. Think of it as a New Year's resolution. Purely coincidence, but it is my birthday, and thus, the start of a new year for me. I have amassed a collection of travel information that is either sorted into a spreadsheet or sitting in a box waiting for its place. No matter where it ends up, this information never seems to be put to any valuable use. This was pointed out to me by my boyfriend tonight. He has a way of criticizing what I do that makes it impossible to tell if he's trying to help or if he just likes to criticize. I suppose I do the same to him. His blog is on here under "vinfotech" if you stumbled across this blog in your search for information related to Cisco information. It probably doesn't help that I've now referenced Cisco, since that will now come up in someone's search. I digress . . .

I suppose I should come to a point. The point of this blog, perhaps. The point is that I am full to the brim with opinions. The largest group of these opinions would involve something related to travel. This may not always mean travel for me, but it will always be something that could be travel for someone. Being based in Portland, Oregon, this will often mean a restaurant or activity in the area. Saying this, however, I love love love love to travel. I love New York City, I love Chicago, but 99 times out of a hundred the travel postings in this blog will be quite a bit more off the wall (read, smaller). Right now, I'm in little ol' Port Angeles, Washington (hopefully that will become a post).

My goal is to see everything the United States has to offer. From there, who knows. I will travel out of the country, but I believe that there is so much variety that this country has to offer. Oregon (my home state) has just about every climate and every type of scenery imagineable. From ocean to desert, from rivers and lakes to mountains and forests, from city to farmland, I honestly can't think of anything it doesn't offer. Expand this out to the rest of the country and the chances of missing out on something decreases. I'm of course not saying that other parts of the world don't offer something worth seeing. I can't wait to make it to Thailand to take in the culture, New Zealand for the beautiful scenery, Germany for the history and Fiji for the . . . well . . . scenery again. This undertaking will focus on my goal of visiting every state (34 at last count), every county (see my mob-rule page), every city (I have something on Trip Advisor for this, but I couldn't tell you where it is), every damn (forgive my language!) campsite, trail, monument, park, waterfall and tree in this country (visiting all of this in the entire world may be a bit large of an undertaking - the country makes it manageable, right?).

I know there are a million travel sites out there, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to bring something different. My perspective (as is indicated by the title) is a gay man's, but I think it will translate well to anyone that likes to drive, camp, hike, eat or just see anything and everything. I'll be surprised if I get three people to visit, but maybe my dream of being helpful to someone will come to fruition. Maybe one day I'll even write that book I've never known how to start. Until then, hopefully I'll be able to give someone some kind of helpful information. If you really want, take a look at the counties I've visited (http://www.mob-rule.com/counties/user-gifs/ralverde.gif again unless you missed it above). If one of these is highlighted (especially those in the Northwest), I might just be able to give some insight. Maybe not, but I'd love to try.

Time to get to it. It's late though, maybe tomorrow.

Location: Port Angeles, WA